Xavi Simons has completed his move to Tottenham from RB Leipzig. A transfer to Chelsea had looked on the cards for much of the summer, but North London will now be the Dutchman's new home. The fee is expected to be an initial €65 million, with a further €5m in add-ons, which means the 22-year-old will now become Tottenham's most expensive ever transfer, eclipsing the €64m they paid for Dominic Solanke last summer. Simons also become the third most expensive player to leave RB Leipzig, and the second major transfer from Leipzig to the Premier League this summer afte the Red Bulls sold Benjamin Sesko to Manchester United earlier this summer.
For Tottenham, it's the third signing from the Bundesliga this summer. The London club has already signed João Palhinha and Mathys Tel, who was previously on loan, from Bayern Munich. Altogether, Tottenham’s transfer spending this summer is now over €200m and sees Spurs move into the top five clubs with the most money spent this transfer window.
What can Xavi Simons add to Tottenham
The Dutch national team player has been linked with several clubs over the last few weeks and months even. Among the clubs interested were Chelsea, who is now exploring other options, and Bayern Munich. Now Tottenham have won the race for Simons. But what sort of player is Simons? Trained in Barcelona’s La Masia academy, Simons joined PSG’s academy in 2019. But his big breakthrough came at PSV Eindhoven in his native Netherlands, where he scored 19 goals and provided eight assists in the 2022/23 season. PSV had signed Simons on a free transfer from PSG in a deal that included a €4m buyback option, which was exercised in the summer of 2023.
Rather than returning to PSG, though, Leipzig loaned Simons that summer. That loan was extended the following season with an option to buy worth €50m, which Leipzig exercised last summer. The €50m deal also allows PSG to participate in any potential future transfer. Even then, Leipzig are set to make money on the deal. But in Simons, the club will lose quality on the pitch. A classic playmaker who, when needed, can also play on the wing, Simons has scored 22 goals and provided 24 assists in 78 games across all competitions for Leipzig.
An elegant player, who can make the players around him better when on form, his biggest shortcoming can be his attitude. When off, Simons disappears at times, and his dressing room behaviour has also caused some consternation in Leipzig. Nonetheless, when on his game, Xavi Simons can be world-class, and if Thomas Frank can keep him disciplined, the Dutchman will be a star in the Premier League.