Chelsea’s pursuit of RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons is really starting to drag on now.
As early as June, it was reported that Chelsea were interested in signing Simons from Leipzig. However, they have been unable to agree a fee with their German counterparts so far.
Since then, their London rivals Arsenal have signed Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace in a £67.5m deal.
It is a transfer that could now indirectly impact Chelsea and their mission to bring in Simons ahead of deadline day.
Tottenham eyeing Xavi Simons hijack after Eberechi Eze failure
At one stage, Eze had actually looked destined for a move to Tottenham Hotspur instead of Arsenal.
In the end, though, their deal to sign Eze from Palace was hijacked by their north London and Premier League rivals, forcing them to turn to alternatives.
Simons now appears to be one of them, with CaughtOffside claiming that Tottenham are currently exploring the possibility of signing the attacking midfielder while Chelsea hold off on a deal.
The outlet claims that the Blues are prioritising exits first, which could give Spurs a window of opportunity to swoop in and land Simons.
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Chelsea are in the process of offloading some of their unwanted assets, however. Axel Disasi could join Bournemouth in the coming days, for example.
Ben Chilwell is also attracting interest from Coventry City, who are now being managed by his former manager Frank Lampard.
Why Chelsea will still be confident about Xavi Simons deal
There is no reason for Chelsea fans to panic just yet. Tottenham’s interest in Simons is not new.
Last week, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano discussed Tottenham and Simons, claiming that Spurs had already made contact to sign the 22-year-old but were unlikely to be successful, as he only wants to join Chelsea.