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Tottenham have begun talks to sign RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons ahead of Chelsea, according to reports.

Chelsea have held extensive talks to sign Simons before Monday’s transfer deadline but have been unable to agree a fee with RB Leipzig, who are holding out for a deal worth €70 million (£60.4m).

The Bundesliga side have already rejected a swap offer from Chelsea for Simons which would have seen Christopher Nkunku return to his former club.

According to The Telegraph, Spurs have now joined the race for Simons and Thomas Frank’s side are ‘optimistic’ that the 22-year-old would be open to a move.

The report adds that there will also be ‘nervousness’ around Spurs after they saw their move for Eberechi Eze hijacked by Arsenal this month.

Simons appeared to be close to joining Chelsea at the start of the month after he was left out of RB Leipzig’s pre-season friendly against Atalanta but the Netherlands international played a full 90 minutes in the 6-0 defeat to Bayern Munich last Friday.

Speaking after the team’s loss in their opening Bundesliga game of the new campaign, RB Leipzig’s sporting director, Marcel Schafer, maintained the club will not prevent Simons from leaving but insisted the deal must be ‘right for everyone’.

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‘We are generally known for enabling players to take the next step. He has expressed his desire to take the next step,’ Schafer said.

‘Basically, we’re open and won’t block any players. But only if all the parameters are right for everyone involved. And that hasn’t been the case so far.

‘If we notice that things are going in a certain direction, then we’re prepared to take one or two players off.

‘That really hasn’t been the case so far. And that’s why he played today.’

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Tottenham appear to have given Arsenal a free run at signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie, according to reports.

Hincapie has been an ever-present figure for Leverkusen in recent years, but has expressed his desire to leave the club before the transfer deadline.

The Ecuador international can play at centre-back or left-back and has a £52million release clause in his current deal.

And despite having already spent heavily this summer, Arsenal are now reportedly eyeing up a deal for Hincapie as they look to add more depth to their defensive options.

Cristhian Mosquera has already joined the Gunners this summer from Valencia, but Mikel Arteta’s side may still move to bring in another centre-back should Jakub Kiwior depart for Porto.

Hincapie is already said to have agreed on personal terms with Arsenal for a long-term deal, and the Gunners are now preparing their first bid for the defender.

Reports last week had also linked Tottenham with a move for Hincapie as they look to add more defensive cover to Thomas Frank’s side.

But Spurs are now said not to be interested in a deal for the 23-year-old, according to The Athletic.

It has already proved a difficult window for Tottenham, who have missed out on several key targets, most notably Eberechi Eze who has now joined arch-rivals Arsenal.

Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel and Kota Takai are Spurs’ only permanent signings so far this summer.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have already taken their summer spending beyond the £200m mark after the signing of Eze from Crystal Palace.

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The attacking midfielder became Arteta’s seventh summer signing following Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Mosquera and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

And speaking over the weekend, Arteta hinted that Arsenal’s summer dealings could still continue right up until the deadline.

‘We are all with big smiles on our faces, understanding that we have done really well, but the market is not closed,’ the Spaniard said.

‘We have to stay very alert because there are a lot of things that can happen. But, so far so good.’

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Tottenham have been urged to hijack a Chelsea transfer deal after missing out on Eberechi Eze to Arsenal.

Spurs were closing in on a significant deal for England star Eze before their north London rivals Arsenal swooped in and agreed a deal with Crystal Palace.

New Tottenham boss Thomas Frank targeted Eze after losing both James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski to injury.

Eze had agreed personal terms with Spurs but then approved a move to Arsenal after the Gunners agreed a £68m deal with Palace.

He became Mikel Arteta’s seventh summer signing and will bolster an Arsenal squad that have aspirations of winning the Premier League this season.

It is a major blow to Tottenham, who have enjoyed a superb start to the new season under Frank, and will likely see the north London club pursue another attacking player before the transfer window shuts.

Spurs have expressed interest in signing Savinho from Manchester City and the Brazil international is believed to be keen on the move.

But Sir Alex Ferguson’s former Manchester United assistant Rene Meulensteen believes Tottenham should also consider hijacking Chelsea’s deal for Xavi Simons.

Chelsea have been working on a deal for the Netherlands international for weeks but are yet to agree terms with RB Leipzig, who are holding out for an offer of £60m.

Discussing Simons’ options in the Premier League, Meulensteen told CoinPoker: ‘It’s interesting to see, but he has to be in one of those top teams to succeed in the Premier League.

‘He’s mobile, he’s really a player that drifts between the lines, behind the pockets, he can be the man.

‘But where he ends up, if he ends up in the Premier League, is yet to be seen.

‘Tottenham? That could be a really good option. With James Maddison out, that could be a really good option.

‘Manchester United? He is somebody that plays in the position that Matheus Cunha or Mason Mount will be playing in. Bryan Mbeumo is probably going to play in that position. Bruno Fernandes plays in that position.

‘At Liverpool, no, because they brought Florian Wirtz in. Arsenal have got their player in that position with Martin Odegaard.’

Tottenham appear to be going in the right direction under Frank, beating Burnley on the opening day before stunning Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this weekend.

But they have missed out on one of the most exciting players in the Premier League in Eze in a situation Jamie Redknapp described as a ‘nightmare’ for Spurs owner Daniel Levy.

‘It’s a nightmare situation for them,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘It’s unfortunately typical of what happens at Tottenham with Daniel Levy.

‘It was an opportunity to get someone across the line, they had two weeks – probably haggling, trying to mess around with the deal instead of just paying the money, saying ‘this is the exit clause, this is what you’ve got to pay, this is what Eberechi Eze wants’. Get it done.

Thomas Frank reacts to Eberechi Eze transfer blow

‘In general I don’t want any players that don’t want to come to this club and wear this fantastic badge. We don’t want them here and I’m sure the fans feel the same.

‘We are in the market and we will look to strengthen the team. We have a good squad and good players [but] we need to do everything we can to be as competitive as possible.

‘I am confident we will sign a player before the end of the window. Every club wants to sign players as early as possible, but it’s not that easy.’

‘This is one of those players that is going to make such a difference. You’ve not got James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski looks like he’s out for a while. They’ve slept and Arsenal have come in.

‘It’s a great move for Arsenal. I’m so disappointed because I thought he’d have been a magnificent No. 10 for Tottenham. He’d have been perfect for them.

‘But it’s happened before, it happened with Morgan Gibbs-White earlier in the season and we’ve seen it again. Over-negotiating. Just get the deal done.’

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Eze was unveiled at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday before Arsenal’s emphatic 5-0 win over newly-promoted Leeds United.

Discussing the signing, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said: ‘He is a powerful and exciting player who will give us a new dimension in our attacking game.

‘What stands out just as much as his talent and intelligence as a player, is the way he has worked hard throughout his career to get where he is today.

‘His journey, his mentality and his ambition are exactly what we want in our team, and we love how much it means to him and his family to be joining our club.’

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Joe Cole believes Tottenham won’t make any more major signings this summer after their £67.5million transfer for Eberechi Eze was hijacked by Arsenal.

That’s despite loud calls for manager Thomas Frank to be backed in the market after Spurs beat Manchester City 2-0 on Saturday.

Goals from Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha secured an impressive win at the Etihad and maintained Tottenham’s 100 per cent start to the Premier League season.

Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou over the summer, also nearly won the UEFA Super Cup in his debut game but his side blew a two-goal lead before losing on penalties to PSG.

But while things are rosey on the pitch, off it there has been frustration in the transfer market despite spending over £126m.

The club have known about long-term injuries to Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison for a while, yet have failed to sign a new No.10 to replace them, missing out on first-choice targets Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White.

With just over a week to go before deadline day, there is still time to remedy this, with Man City forward Savinho emerging as a top target.

But Cole doesn’t think Spurs will make anymore big moves this summer, claiming chairman Daniel Levy will be content to rest on his laurels after a positive start to the new season.

‘I can’t see much more happening before the end of the window,’ the Chelsea icon told TNT Sports.

‘Daniel Levy’s in a great position. He ain’t spent a lot of money. He’s got two great results.

‘I don’t think he’ll go and get somebody that is of age and ready to go. I think there’ll be a few young players that come in, they’ll bolster the squad.

‘After today, I think the Savinho deal is less likely. It could possibly happen, it depends. We don’t know what’s happening with financial fair play, we don’t know what the needs of certain clubs are in terms of buying and selling.

‘But Daniel Levy will be going “I’m pretty set with what I’ve got. Maybe one young player in”.’

Savinho is yet to appear in a matchday squad for City this season amid the transfer speculation but Pep Guardiola has not confirmed whether he is willing to sell the 21-year-old.

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Discussing what transfer business his side could yet do, Frank said post-match: ‘We have a strong squad that I believe a lot in.

‘We would like to add a bit, but only if it can strengthen the squad.

‘We are looking to add in, and hopefully succeed. I know the club is working very hard. I trust them.’

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It was a day to forget for Manchester City as Thomas Frank’s Tottenham produced a statement performance to come away from the Etihad with a 2-0 win.

Spurs returned to the stadium where they romped to a 4-0 victory last season and produced a similarly impressive display – albeit under a new manager – to maintain their 100 per cent record in the Premier League after two games.

A somewhat unfortunate slip from John Stones helped the visitors make their breakthrough in the 35th minute, with Richarlison racing through to cross for Brennan Johnson, who made made no mistake from close range.

And Frank’s men were gifted their second in the dying moments of the first half as James Trafford’s high-risk pass backfired spectacularly, allowing Joao Palhinha to open his account for the north Londoners.

Pep Guardiola rang the changes after the break, with Jeremy Doku, Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden all introduced, but Tottenham held firm to pick up a second clean sheet in as many games.

While Foden was unable to make a meaningful difference in the contest, a video showing the England attacking midfielder laughing on the City substitutes bench quickly went viral on social media.

The bizarre footage was captured shortly after Palhinha had doubled Spurs’ advantage on the stroke of half-time, leaving many City supporters seething and others bemused.

Some fans speculated that Foden may have been nervously chuckling while watching back Trafford’s blunder for Spurs’ second goal, while others suggested his reaction may have been born out of frustration at not starting the match.

However, it soon became clear that it was Tottenham supporters chanting, ‘Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that!’, following their Europa League triumph, that had sent Foden into a fit of the giggles.

Given Guardiola’s City conquered Europe just two years ago, one would assume those Spurs fans singing in the away end would have had their tongues placed firmly in their cheeks.

It was perhaps the miserable look on Ederson’s face, who was sat directly behind Foden, that really summed up City’s afternoon.

Guardiola’s side will look to get back to the drawing board and regroup ahead of their trip to Brighton next weekend.

Asked where it all went wrong for City, Guardiola told BBC Sport: ‘Well, the result.

‘I think the performance was better in general in many moments, but I think we missed the simple things, individually and collectively.

‘Let’s not blame individuals, but the simple things, the passes and what you have to do, we missed a lot.

‘But yeah, we gave everything and the vibe we have and the rhythm and the training and the games is good so we have to continue with that.’

Guardiola opted not to dwell on Trafford’s mistake that led to Palhinha’s goal and instead criticised his team as a whole for ‘losing the simple things’ across the 90 minutes.

Asked about Spurs’ second, Guardiola replied: ‘Against high-pressing we have to attack differently in our build-up and after when we dropped we were quite good.

‘I know the physicality they have and we were close in the transitions, but we lost the simple things, a lot of balls we lost.’

‘We have done many good things but, of course, we have to shape in that period and we have to finish the transfer market and see how many players we have.

‘After that, we will see.’

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A mural of future Arsenal player Eberechi Eze has been vandalised, seemingly by Tottenham fans, ahead of the £67.5million transfer being confirmed.

After completing his medical on Friday, Eze is set to be unveiled as the Gunners’ latest marquee signing this weekend, though he will not make his debut against Leeds United on Saturday evening.

As recently as Wednesday, it looked like the England international was set to join Tottenham after they agreed a deal with Crystal Palace, only for arch-rivals Arsenal to seemingly hijack the transfer.

Mikel Arteta’s side matched Spurs’ offer, leaving Eze with the choice of the two north London clubs and, being a life-long Gooner, his decision was easy.

In the wake of the news overnight on Wednesday, a mural of the attacking midfielder appeared in a tunnel just outside the Emirates.

Created by artist North Banksy, it depicts Eze in an Arsenal shirt doing his trademark celebration, accompanied by the caption: ‘All roads lead home,’ a reference to Eze’s time in the Arsenal academy.

But on Saturday morning, just hours before the clash against Leeds at the Emirates, online images showed the mural has been defaced with white paint.

Additionally, the word ‘Yids’, an anti-Semitic slur that has been reclaimed by Tottenham fans, was painted next to the mural, seemingly confirming that the vandals were Spurs supporters.

Reacting to the news, North Banksy posted on Twitter: ‘Well this is annoying.

‘All that hard work gone in seconds – a bit like Tottenham must feel about their Eze transfer dealings! We will be back soon…’

Tottenham fans are understandably frustrated with the club’s hierarchy given how they have missed out on their top two attacking midfielder transfer targets this summer, namely Eze and Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.

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England legend and former Spurs striker Gary Lineker admitted he was ‘gutted’ to see Eze choose Arsenal while Thomas Frank aimed a parting shot at the 27-year-old.

‘To be very, very clear, I don’t want any players that don’t want to come to the club,’ the Lilywhites’ manager said ahead of Saturday’s game against Manchester City.

‘They don’t want to come to the club, to wear this fantastic badge, we don’t want them here.’

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Manchester City and Tottenham meet in the pick of the day’s Premier League action at the Eithad this afternoon.

Both sides got their campaign off to thrilling starts last weekend as City swept aside Wolves. Spurs meanwhile got the job done at home to Burnley.

It’s been a frustrating few days for Tottenham since with the club reeling after missing out on Eberechi Eze, with Arsenal swooping to hijack the deal.

City were without Phil Foden and Rodri last time out but are expected to welcome back the Spain international this afternoon after his latest setback.

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HALF-TIME! Man City 0-2 Tottenham

Spurs in control at the break.

Man City 0-2 Tottenham

Man City 0-2 Tottenham

This is staggeringly bad from City.

City try a short one from a free kick in their own box and Trafford dallies before playing out from the back. He looks for Gonzalez, who is immediately pressed by Sarr. City are scrambling and Palhinha pops up to drill home.

GOAL! Man City 0-2 Tottenham (Joao Palhinha, 45+2 mins)

What are City doing?!

Man City 0-1 Tottenham

Now there is a penalty shout with Reijnders catching Porro’s foot – replays suggest it was outside the box,

Man City 0-1 Tottenham

It’s a lovely pick out in the box and an equally lovely finish from Johnson.

GOAL! Man City 0-1 Tottenham | Brennan Johnson, 35 mins

The goal stands!

GOAL RULED OUT!

Richarlison springs into space down the right and crosses into Johnson who lashes home! The offside flag is up, but this looks very close.

Man City 0-0 Tottenham

Brennan Johnson picks up the first booking of the afternoon.

Man City 0-0 Tottenham

Man City 0-0 Tottenham

Man City 0-0 Tottenham

Man City 0-0 Tottenham

Man City 0-0 Tottenham

Man City 0-0 Tottenham

Man City 0-0 Tottenham

Man City 0-0 Tottenham

Man City 0-0 Tottenham

KICK-OFF!

Tottenham get us up and running.

Here come the teams

Kick-off is minutes away.

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Manchester City will have two key players back when they take on Tottenham in their Premier League clash this afternoon.

Pep Guardiola’s side eased past Wolves last Saturday with Erling Haaland scoring twice with Tijjani Reijnders looking superb on his competitive debut following his summer arrival from AC Milan.

City were without a number of stars that afternoon with Phil Foden and Rodri watching on from the stands. Both however are available for the visit of Spurs, a huge double boost after it was initially feared the Spain international would not be back until after the September international break.

Josko Gvardiol was another who did not make the trip to Molineux last week and will not be involved today.

Savinho, linked with a move to Tottenham, is also ruled out for a few weeks having missed City’s final pre-season match and their league opener last weekend.

City are also set to remain without Mateo Kovacic who is recovering from an Achilles injury which is expected to sideline him until September at the earliest.

Spurs enjoyed a sparkling start to life under Thomas Frank, thrashing Burnley 3-0 in their opener, but their week soured on Wednesday when it emerged Arsenal had hijacked their move to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.

They too are dealing with a handful of injury concerns.

In addition to long-term absentees James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma missed last weekend’s victory after picking up a knock in training. The former Brighton midfielder missed the Uefa Super Cup clash with Paris Saint-Germain due to disciplinary reasons and will miss out again today.

Destiny Udogie meanwhile missed Tottenham’s entire pre-season tour and while he is back in first-team training, this weekend comes too soon for hi

Summer signing Kota Takai is also still recovering from injury.

Man City XI to face Tottenham – Metro prediction

We suspect Guardiola may keep his cards close to his chest when it comes to injury updates on Friday. But given how efficiently his side eased past Wolves, the City boss may be tempted to stick with the same XI although Rayan Cherki could force his way in after his goal off the bench.

Tottenham XI to face Man City – Metro prediction

Dominic Solanke will be pushing for a starting role but after his double against Burnley, Richarlison will fancy his chances of keeping his place.

In midfield, the experienced Joao Palhinha could come in after making his debut off the bench last weekend.

Man City vs Tottenham TV channel and kick-off time

Man City vs Tottenham kicks off on Saturday 23 August with kick-off scheduled for 12:30pm.

You can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1 with streaming also available through the Discovery+ app

You can also follow all the action with Metro’s LIVE match day blog.

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Gary Lineker admits he is ‘gutted’ that Arsenal have hijacked Tottenham’s £67.5million transfer for Eberechi Eze.

After months of speculation about his future, Eze looked all set to join Spurs after they finalised a record-breaking deal with Crystal Palace.

However, on Wednesday, after losing Kai Havertz to injury, Arsenal revived their interest in the attacking midfielder, promising to match Tottenham’s bid.

Eze was given the choice of the two North London giants and being a life-long Gunners fan and former academy player, his decision was easy and he is set to undergo a medical with Arsenal on Friday.

The 27-year-old was highly coveted after scoring 14 goals, including the winner in the FA Cup final, and 11 assists last season and will now become Palace’s record sale.

England legend and former Tottenham striker Lineker understands why the Three Lions star snubbed his former team but wishes he hadn’t.

What has Gary Lineker said about Eberechi Eze?

‘Bit of a disaster really for Spurs to lose out. They thought they had their man, but Arsenal have jumped in at the last moment,’ Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast.

‘Significant coup for them. For Spurs fans, it’ll be hugely disappointing.

‘It’s not the first time it’s happened. It happened with Morgan Gibbs-White as well, very similar circumstances. So, the club’s ended up with a bit of egg on its face at the minute, particularly against the North London rivals.

‘Hugely talented player, brilliant signing for Arsenal. As a former Spurs man, bit gutted to be perfectly honest.

‘But if you consider the fact that he was at Arsenal’s academy, that he’s been an Arsenal player since he was a kid, it’s probably safe to say that he’s… not necessarily his heart has ruled his head, but his heart has won out.’

There has been speculation over where Eze will play in Mikel Arteta’s team given his preferred No.10 role is occupied by captain Martin Odegaard.

It seems more likely he’ll operate on the left-wing and some have suggested that could spell trouble for Gabriel Martinelli.

‘For Arsenal, it’s a great signature and I suspect it fills that void that they have [on the left],’ Lineker added.

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‘Not that much confidence perhaps with Martinelli among some fans at Arsenal. And I think Micah [Richards] has said many times that he thinks they need someone that can play on the left.

‘He [Eze] can play there, he can also play in the No.10 role if he has to.’

Eze will not have completed his transfer in time to feature against Leeds United on Saturday evening but could well make his Arsenal debut against Liverpool on August 31.

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Tottenham have made an approach to sign Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers as they scramble for alternatives to Eberechi Eze, according to reports.

Spurs appeared to be closing in on a deal to sign Eze from Crystal Palace before their bid was hijacked at the 11th hour by bitter rivals Arsenal.

An injury to Kai Havertz saw the Gunners revive their long-standing interest in Eze on Wednesday, with a deal and personal terms agreed just a matter of hours later.

The remarkable developments are undoubtedly a hammer blow for Spurs, who were ready to make the 27-year-old their marquee summer signing for Thomas Frank.

The north London club were already dealt a similar setback earlier in the summer when Morgan Gibbs-White turned his back on a move to north London and instead signed a new contract with Nottingham Forest.

But Daniel Levy and Co. must now scramble for replacements as they look to provide Tottenham with vital added depth in the attacking midfield department.

And according to The Independent, Spurs have now turned their attention to Rogers, who has emerged as one of the most impressive young talents in the Premier League since his move from Middlesbrough in January 2024.

The report adds that Tottenham have already made contact with intermediaries to assess whether a deal could be possible in the final days of the transfer window.

However, Spurs would likely have to pay a fee far in excess of the £60m they were set to pay to sign Eze.

Having let Jacob Ramsey depart to Newcastle for £40million, Villa are in no need to sell such a key player and are expected to demand as much as £80m for Rogers.

The versatile 23-year-old can play across the midfield line and registered 18 goal contributions for Unai Emery’s side in the league last season.

Rogers signed a new contract in November last year, which does not expire until the summer of 2030, and is also highly thought of by Chelsea, who have been linked with a move should their pursuit of Xavi Simons prove unsuccessful.

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Elsewhere, Tottenham have also been linked with a move for Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, while a bid for Manchester City winger Savinho also remains a possibility.

Speaking before Spurs’ opening game of the season against Burnley, Frank said: ‘We are looking of course in the market.

‘Not only for 10 position but just to see if we can strengthen the squad. The players we are looking [at] are only players we think can improve the squad.

‘That’s the right thing we want to do. If we can pick the right player and it fits, then we will do something.’

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