Tottenham identify RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons as a potential alternative to Eberechi Eze
Tottenham Hotspur are on the hunt for a No.10 after James Maddison ruptured his ACL earlier this month. The England international has been ruled out for the foreseeable future, providing Thomas Frank with a massive setback.
To fill Maddison’s void in the team, Spurs were targeting Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze. The Palace talisman was keen on the move and agreed the personal terms as well. However, Daniel Levy and Co.’s sluggish negotiations with the Eagles gave arch-rivals Arsenal a window of opportunity to swoop in.
The Gunners hijacked Eze’s deal in the 11th hour on Wednesday evening, and unsurprisingly, the English attacker accepted a move to the Emirates Stadium due to his past connection with the club. They quickly reached an agreement with Palace over a transfer fee and have booked medical tests for the 27-year-old on Friday.
Arsenal usurping Tottenham’s to sign Eze has seen the White Hart Lane faithful go into complete meltdown on social media. It also took a toll on former midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who lost his calm on a talkSPORT show and slammed Daniel Levy for his “penny-pinching” tactics.
Tottenham earmark RB Leipzig star as potential alternative to Eze
According to reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham have held internal talks over a late move for RB Leipzig starlet Xavi Simons. They have identified the Netherlands international as a potential alternative to Eze.
Spurs have been interested in a move for Xavi Simons for some time now, but they face competition for his signature from London rivals Chelsea. The RB Leipzig star has set his heart on a move to Stamford Bridge. He has made it clear by agreeing personal terms with the Blues and snubbing offers from Bayern Munich. The Club World Cup champions must make sales first before launching a bid for the 22-year-old.
Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano claims Spurs have held talks with RB Leipzig to explore a potential deal for Simons in the last couple of days but are wary that it is difficult to pull it off given Chelsea are leading the race for his signature.
“Another player they would love to add, and they made some contact a few days ago already was Xavi Simons. But Xavi Simons has his heart set on a move to Chelsea,” Romano said.
“So now for Tottenham is going to be not easy, for sure, after the crazy Morgan Gibbs-White story and after this Eze story to try understand what they can do next. Rogers, very difficult. Xavi Simons wants to go to Chelsea.”
Simons would be a cracking signing for Spurs
With just 11 days left for the transfer window to slam shut, Tottenham must accelerate their transfer plans and find a player that has a similar profile as Eze. Simons, in that regard, fits the bill perfectly.
In Simons, Thomas Frank would get a player who is technically gifted, tactically versatile, creative and goalscoring playmaker. He can operate off the left, through the middle as a No.9 and 10, providing Frank with the tactical flexibility and quality depth to his squad. The ex-PSG man would also instantly enhance the Dane’s first XI.
As Chelsea would be required to make a couple of sales before launching a move for the Leipzig ace, Spurs have a golden opportunity to hijack a deal. It will definitely be a difficult deal to complete given the player wants to join Enzo Maresca’s side, but if Levy wants to rectify the Eze mistake, he should try finding a way to lure Simons to north London- even if it requires paying over the odds to the Bundesliga club and breaking the wage structure for the player.
