Tottenham Hotspur appear to be moving forward in their bid to sign RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons in the final days of the transfer window, according to reports - though the Bundesliga star has issued Tottenham with hefty wage demands if he is to make the switch to north London.
The report by The Sun states that Spurs have made their move for Simons, who is in London to sort out a transfer, with a £61million bid being lodged for his services. However, their update states that Simons would be looking for a wage of around £200,000-a-week to join the north London outfit, which would see him become their highest-earning player, according to Capology.
Report: Simons Wage Demands for Tottenham Move Revealed
The website estimates that Cristian Romero is currently their top-earning star after signing a new contract earlier this month, with the Argentine reportedly earning £195,000-a-week under Thomas Frank - whilst James Maddison, Joao Palhinha and Dejan Kulusevski make up the quartet of players who are earning north of £100,000-a-week.
The same website estimates Simons' current wage to be around £165,000-a-week, meaning that he will garner a 25 percent increase on his current contract in the Bundesliga if those estimates are correct.
Leipzig told German outlet BILD that Simons has been 'released until further notice for future discussions', and having reportedly flown to London, that has seen Tottenham make their move to steal him from under the noses of Chelsea.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Xavi Simons made seven appearances for PSG before venturing elsewhere.
Spurs have been after a new playmaker throughout the summer, missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White despite activating his £60million release clause as Nottingham Forest made claims that they had 'illegally' approached the star, before he signed a new deal at the City Ground.
Following that, they looked to be making inroads to signing Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace before local rivals Arsenal swooped in at the eleventh hour - and with James Maddison suffering a long-term knee injury in their final pre-season game, that has only expedited the need for a new midfielder.
Simons would fit the bill immensely. At just 22 years of age, the 'phenomenal' star already has 137 appearances in all competitions at club level, including 22 European outings for PSV and Leipzig combined - whilst time spent in the French capital alongside exposure to game time in the Bundesliga will have done his development wonders.
That, alongside regular caps for the Netherlands, means that Tottenham would be adding an incredible player to their ranks, helping to extend their strong run of form in the Premier League so far.