Daily Mail

Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Chelsea host Ajax at Stamford Bridge, whilst Tottenham travel to Stade Louis II to take on AS Monaco, with Kieran Gill and Matt Barlow reporting from the grounds.

Xavi Simons promised flair and Tottenham fans are waiting. Drumming fingers because he was unable to influence the game against Aston Villa. Rolling eyes about the failed 'rabona' pass at Leeds.

Not quite the drumroll anyone expected before the £52million summer signing made any sort of impact.

A big fee brings impatience. Just ask Florian Wirtz who, at 22, is the same age as Simons and cost more than twice as much for Liverpool to sign from Bayer Leverkusen.

Neither have found it easy to hit the rhythm of the Premier League as they did in the Bundesliga, and Wirtz has been in situ since June. Simons did not arrive until the end of August.

'It's a very good comparison,' said Frank, ahead of a Champions League tie in Monaco. 'Wirtz, also a very good player just like Xavi coming into a new country, new club, new city, just need to settle and it is part of it.

'We are all getting judged every game, but we also need to see the bigger perspective. I look for glimpses and with Xavi I asked him to be more arriving in the box and when I looked back at the [Villa] game, he did. Was there a big eye-catching moment? No, but there were glimpses so it's going a little bit in the right direction.'

Simons has played 499 minutes in all competitions for Spurs and is yet to score. He has registered one assist, on his debut at West Ham when one of his corners was headed in by Pape Matar Sarr.

These basic numbers are not ideal for a player recruited to fill the creative void.

And on days like Sunday, when Villa won at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium thanks to goals by Morgan Rogers and Emi Buendia, attacking midfielders akin to Simons, drifting between the lines and scoring with high-class finishes from the fringes of the penalty area, it becomes the topic of debate.

Online conspiracies swirled around whether his teammates were passing him the ball.

In the Premier League, however, Opta statistics showed Simons receives more open play passes per 90 minutes than Mohammed Kudus, who has made a strong start to his Spurs career since a £55m move from West Ham.

So, let's rule out the conspiracy theory. There are probably simpler, more basic factors in play as Thomas Frank tinkers with personnel in attacking areas as he searches for some chemistry.

As for Simons, he has played off the left but is ideally suited as the number 10 in Frank's current 4-2-3-1 formation. One very good judge of Dutch football told me when he signed that he could not see him excelling in the role off the left Tottenham and thus far it looks like an accurate assessment.

The Netherlands international was nurtured in Barcelona's La Masia academy. He adored Neymar, trod the same path from Catalunya to Paris Saint-Germain and, when asked to sum up his own style of football in one word after joining Spurs, he opted for 'flair' in homage to his hero.

Simons fits the number 10 role in the modern sense because he has abundant energy. He is quick, dynamic, in perpetual motion, closing defenders down. He can thread passes, bounce one-twos and threaten the goal when on top of his game.

Tottenham have seen him fizzing just the once, off the bench at Brighton to help the team fight back from two down to salvage a draw. In those 29 minutes at the Amex Stadium, Simons had a cluster of three clear shots compared to just the one in the four Premier League games when he started.

He should have scored one of them, but it was undoubtedly his finest display in a Spurs shirt.

It came with Frank's team committed to attack and opponents rattled. Lucas Bergvall and Joao Palhinha were deep in midfield by the time he came on, Kudus was excelling on the right, Richarlison a physical presence up front and Wilson Odobert, who later gave way to Brennan Johnson, offering pace on the left.

Spurs tried to replicate it a week later against Wolves, deploying Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur deep in midfield, Simons off the left and Bergvall at number 10, but on that day, they were fortunate to escape with a draw, at home against the team bottom of the Premier League.

Frank has restored Simons in the number 10 position for the last two games, sacrificing Bergvall, last season's player of the year and darling of the fans. At 19, it seems Bergvall has yet to earn the manager's trust in a deeper midfield role.

Spurs also look a better team with Sarr's mileage in midfield and yet he has not started in the Premier League since Simons made his debut. The right midfield formula eludes Frank, and that is connected as ever to other parts of the team.

'We are relatively early days,' said the Dane. 'There has been a lot of progress overall. Very good in high pressure. Very aggressive against Villa. Very intense. Offensively, we scored quite a few goals and that's what it's about.

'Also, how many teams right now play free-flowing top football three games in a row, in the Premier League? We are aiming for the perfect game every game. That's what we want. But we know what we are working at and progressing nicely.'

The two recent Premier League games with Simons in number 10 - against Leeds and Aston Villa - both featured Mathys Tel at centre forward rather than Richarlison.

Tel is a very different type of player, who cannot provide the same focal point holding the ball up with his back to goal, duelling with centre halves and linking play as the Brazilian can.

There are missing elements too, because Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani have been injured. Brennan Johnson, top scorer last season, cannot get a game because of Kudus.

And there are moving parts because Frank likes to tweak his tactical plan depending on opponents.

Villa are solid down the spine, with Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana shielding the central defenders and wide players often tucking inside, so Spurs tried to play around and not through them.

It worked early on, but the Spurs boss conceded he would have liked more creativity from open play.

So, it is not only about Simons. There is more to it, but he must shoulder some responsibility. In his breakthrough year at PSV Eindhoven, he scored 21 goals in 44 appearances, and 24 goals in 78 during two years at Leipzig.

The Premier League is a step up and he might need time to adapt but if he is to be Tottenham's number 10 and supply the flair, he must influence the games because Bergvall is competing for the same role and Dejan Kulusevski will be back in contention before the end of the year.

Tottenham were forced to replace Cristian Romero at late notice going into their clash with Aston Villa.

Romero had been named in Thomas Frank's starting line-up for their first game back after the international break.

But an injury in the warm-up saw Romero unable to play and Spurs announced that Kevin Danso had taken his place.

It also meant that fellow defender Micky van de Ven had to step up and take the armband ahead of a momentous day.

Going into the clash, Tottenham sat fifth in the table with the chance to leapfrog Bournemouth, Liverpool, and Manchester City.

Romero has had to contend with a lot of injury trouble since joining Spurs (initially on loan) in 2021.

The 27-year-old has experienced 10 separate injury-layoffs since moving to north London, with four of those being related to his hamstring.

Between December and March last season, the Argentinian sat out 21 games as he dealt with a major hamstring blow.

He has been heavily involved in Tottenham's action this campaign, starting nine of their 10 games in all competitions prior to Sunday's clash.

The only one he had missed was their trip to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, having to miss out on that one due to injury also.

Thomas Frank will hope to keep fitness issues to a minimum after seeing how much they hampered by predecessor Ange Postecoglou.

The tolls of a long domestic and Europa League campaign saw injuries become a weekly anxiety for Postecoglou, and ultimately contributed to their 17th-placed finish in the Premier League.

Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, teams news and updates as Tottenham play host to Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League, with Matt Barlow reporting from the ground.

Fabio Paratici has returned to Tottenham Hotspur as sporting director after serving a 30-month ban for false accounting, the club have confirmed.

The Italian was hit with the ban during his first stint in north London for his role in alleged financial regularities relating back to his time at Juventus in early 2023.

Paratici later appealed the decision, unsuccessfully, before official stepping away from his role as at Spurs in April 2023 after two years at the club.

But now he's back, with Spurs confirming on Wednesday that Paratici has been appointed as their new sporting director alongside Johan Lange, formerly an Aston Villa chief.

'I'm delighted to be returning to a club that I love,' Paratici said, 'I have been working with Johan, Vinai (Venkatesham) and Thomas (Frank) as a consultant for a number of months and I now look forward to returning to London and joining the team full-time.

'I'm convinced that working in partnership with Johan we can build a special future for our club and supporters.'

With the former Juventus chief continuing to work as an unofficial consultant at Spurs during his ban, when his suspension finished in July, there had been strong rumours of a return despite links to AC Milan.

But Paratici's case in the Italian courts only reached its conclusion last month when a judge in Rome accepted a plea bargain by former Juventus executives over their alleged false accounting.

Previously agreed prison sentences of 20 months for ex-Old Lady chairman Andrea Agnelli, 18 months for Paratici and 14 months for Pavel Nedved were suspended. All three of the chiefs deny wrongdoing.

Juventus were also fined £136,000 following the investigation, which started in 2021, with the club releasing a statement reading: 'The plea agreement does not entail any admission or recognition of liability.'

Paratici's return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium comes at a time of change for the club after the exit of long-serving chairman Daniel Levy in September.

Peter Charrington later stepped into the role of non-executive chairman in place of Levy, working alongside Vinai Venkatesham, who takes charge of all operational matters on and off the pitch.

Upon the appointment of Spurs' two new sporting directors, Vekatesham said: 'This is an important evolution in how we operate. The remit of a sporting director is vast, and by uniting two exceptional leaders in Johan and Fabio, we're setting the foundations for sustained success.

'They are both outstanding football minds, with complementary expertise and strong track records. This structure reflects our ambition and our determination to compete at the very highest level to deliver for our supporters.

'Together, Fabio and Johan will lead with purpose - building not only a competitive men's squad but a connected football ecosystem where every detail contributes to our shared ambition: to make our club a benchmark for excellence in world football.'

Spurs have enjoyed a promising start to the season since the arrival of Thomas Frank from Brentford in the summer.

They sit in third position after the Premier League's opening seven game-weeks having lost just one fixture.

They host Aston Villa in north London on Thursday.

Tottenham star Yves Bissouma looked in agony as a foul forced him to be stretchered off just nine seconds into his first outing of the season.

Bissouma, 29, has not featured this campaign for Spurs after persistently turning up late for training over the summer.

But he looked like he might revive his season on Sunday as he came on for Mali against Madagascar in their 4-1 World Cup qualifying win.

The midfielder was brought on in the 67th minute with Mali 3-0 up but he was hacked down just nine seconds after play resumed and writhed on the floor in pain.

Bissouma had made an instant impact, intercepting a pass and looking to start a counter-attack before he was stopped in his tracks by an agricultural challenge.

He appeared to be gesturing at his left ankle and covered his face as team-mates gathered around him. He tried to get up to walk off the pitch independently but was unable to.

It marks another major blow for Bissouma, who may have been hoping that international involvement could catapult him into Thomas Frank's plans.

He suffered a long-term ankle injury in the 2022-23 season, missing 17 games as a result, and the fear is that he could be set for another lengthy lay-off, though that has not been confirmed.

Bissouma was axed from Spurs' squad for the UEFA Super Cup defeat by Paris Saint-Germain and subsequently left out of their Champions League group.

When available he has been heavily involved in their last three seasons since joining for £25million from Brighton. He started in their Europa League final victory against Manchester United in May.

However, he will have to pull up his socks to get a look in under Frank.

Explaining the Malian's exclusion for the UEFA Super Cup, Frank said: 'Bissouma isn't here because of disciplinary reasons. He's been late several times and the latest time was just one too many.

'You need to give your players a lot of love, also have demands, and there also need to be consequences. This time there was a consequence.'

Over the summer, Bissouma was linked with a move away from the club.

Daily Mail Sport previously reported how Roma and Fenerbahce had expressed an interest in Bissouma, while Galatasaray were also keen.

The Lewis family have confirmed their commitment to a new era of investment in Tottenham with a £100million injection of funds and a promise there is more to follow.

'This is initial additional funding,' said a source close to the family. 'As the club's management decides what's needed to deliver success, more money will be available. The Lewis family is committed to backing the club to be successful.'

Although £100m doesn't go far in modern Premier League football and Spurs are already committed to a great deal of transfer spending, it has to go down as a promising development after a solid start the first season after a summer of upheaval.

They are sitting third in the Premier League with only one defeat from 11 games under new head coach Thomas Frank.

The Lewises have taken renewed interest in the club since ousting Daniel Levy as chairman in September. They have resisted takeover from three different consortiums, from Saudi Arabia, China and the USA.

Vivienne, the daughter of the club's original billionaire patriarch Joe Lewis, has taken the keenest interest and has been present at games, as have her brother Charles and son-in-law Nick Beucher.

'Our focus is on stability and empowering the management team to deliver on the club's ambitions,' said Charrington in a statement released on Thursday. 'I know the Lewis family are also ambitious for the future.

'Today's capital commitment reflects that ambition and I would like to thank them for their ongoing support. We will continue to do all we can to ensure that Vinai and his team are supported in the best way possible to take this Club forward.'

Arsenal are reportedly considering a Real Madrid-style expansion of the Emirates stadium in an attempt to boost their revenues.

The Emirates was the Premier League's second-biggest stadium behind only Old Trafford when it opened in 2006 with a capacity of 60,704.

In the two decades since it has slipped behind Liverpool's iconic stadium Anfield, West Home's home at the London Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Daily Mail Sport reported last November that the Emirates can be expanded in a multitude of ways, but each route comes with its own complications.

This includes altering seating, lowering the Emirates pitch, renovating individual stands, or replacing the roof and adding an additional tier of seats.

According to the Telegraph, Arsenal officials are assessing options to make the stands steeper in an attempt to boost the capacity to over 70,000, which would make the Emirates the biggest club stadium in London.

The options being assessed by the club are limited to expansions within the ground, with the outer bowl expected to remain similar in appearance.

According to the report, Arsenal have studied Real Madrid's expansion of the Santiago Bernabeu as inspiration for their own plans.

The Spanish stadium underwent a £860m renovation over a five-year period to modernise the club's historic home.

Around 4,000 seats were added to the stadium, taking the capacity up to 83,186, while a 360-degree screen, retractable roof and retractable pitch to host non-football events.

Real Madrid revealed earlier this year that their matchday revenues have doubled to €248m (£215m) following the completion of the renovations, serving to highlight the huge riches available to Arsenal should they complete their own stadium changes.

Arsenal would be seeking a similar rise, with the club's matchday revenue for the 2023-24 season having been £131.7m.

This marked an increase from £102.6m the previous season, which had been attributed to their return to Champions League football.

A renovation of the Emirates could reportedly lead Arsenal to having to temporarily relocate to a new home while construction gets underway.

According to the Telegraph, Wembley, situated in north west London, would be a potential option for the Gunners while work took place.

Arch-rivals Tottenham had played at Wembley from the start of the 2017 season to late in the 2018-19 campaign as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was built on the site of White Hart Lane.

Similarly Real Madrid and Barcelona, who have been renovating the Nou Camp, were forced to relocate temporarily during work on their respective stadiums.

Real Madrid had spent a season playing at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium during the early part of the renovation - however matches had been taking placed behind closed doors at the time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Daily Mail Sport revealed last month that Arsenal's plans to expand the Emirates had stepped up with the appointment of new non-executive board member Otto Maly.

Maly is president and director of special projects at Kroenke Holdings and also chairs Maly Commercial Realty.

He played a central role in building SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles — a state-of-the-art, 100,000-capacity venue that cost more than £4bn to build and hosts Stan Kroenke's Rams — as the legal officer overseeing its ownership and operations.

Earlier this year, he was also chosen by Kroenke to lead a £7.5bn redevelopment of a 100-acre site in Los Angeles, which will include a new HQ for the Rams, apartments, retail outlets and entertainment spaces.

Radu Dragusin has confirmed he expects to be fit and fighting for a place in the Tottenham team within a month.

Spurs rejected attempts by Romania boss Mircea Lucescu to call Dragusin into the national team squad to train and lift spirits ahead of Sunday's vital World Cup qualifier against Austria and be among the substitutes, even if he was unable to start.

The 23-year-old defender was keen to answer call from Lucescu, a legend of Romanian football. He is itching to get back into action but understands the caution of club medics as he completes his recover from a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered in January.

'Mircea Lucescu wanted me back in the team of course,' said Dragusin at a sponsor's event in Bucharest. 'I wanted to be together with my teammates again and to play for Romania. But, on the other hand, I understood that a couple of weeks more, a month more of waiting it will help me for the future.

'Of course, I think I am already ready now, but in the long term it will me help to have more stability and safety for a longer career. Tottenham is taking all measures to come back stronger than before.

'I tell you that I'm gonna come back in a better shape than I was before the injury and in a better point to continue my career.'

Tottenham beat competition from Bayern Munich to sign Dragusin for £26.7million from Genoa in January 2024. Twelve months later, he tore cruciate knee ligaments playing in a Europa League tie against Elfsborg.

'ACL is the one of the worst injuries in football, if not the worst,' said Dragusin. 'You need a longer time to recover than the most people imagine. You cannot doubt what the medical staff of Tottenham is doing or the physiotherapists or especially the surgeon who made the surgery. They have the best knowledge and the greatest experience.'

Dragusin is not expected to dislodge Tottenham's first-choice central defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven but his return to full fitness will extend Thomas Frank's defensive options and cover. Kevin Danso and Kota Takai are also competing for places in central defence.

A Carabao Cup tie at Newcastle at the end of October provides an inviting target.

Harry Kane has dampened the idea of a Premier League return by suggesting he is open to extending his stay at Bayern Munich.

An extraordinary start to the season, with 19 goals in 11 appearances for club and country, have Bayern already looking to nail the England captain to a new contract.

Kane's deal runs out in 2027 and the striker revealed that his initial plan to definitely seek an eventual move back to English football is now not as concrete as when moving to the Bundesliga two years ago.

That news will serve as a blow for Tottenham, whose manager Thomas Frank talked up the prospect of re-signing the club's record goalscorer last month.

'In terms of staying there longer I could definitely see that,' Kane said. 'The Premier League, I don't know.

'If you had asked me when I first left to go to Bayern, I would have said for sure I would come back.

'Now I have been there a couple of years I would say probably say that has gone down a little bit, not so much, but I wouldn't say I would never go back.

'Right now I am fully all in with Bayern. I am extremely happy there, my wife and kids are happy to stay.

'I don't think there is any need to rush. The manager [Vincent Kompamy] is a big part of that. I love the manager, I think he is fantastic. As long we are improving and I am improving then I am happy to see what we can achieve.'

Kane – who is said to have a release clause in his existing Bayern contract - added: 'I think MLS is too early for sure the way I feel right now, the way I am playing right now. The MLS would be something later in my career when I am thinking about the last couple of years or so.'

Last season's Bundesliga title was the first piece of silverware of Kane's career and the 32-year-old revealed he was 'interested' to see how he would react to finally breaking his duck.

But he claimed that preparation and focus has only increased since – and has started becoming even stricter when watching his diet while gunning for next year's Ballon d'Or.

'I pushed myself the other way, in terms of being even better, eating even cleaner, doing more gym,' Kane said. 'Just trying to get the most out of what I've got right now. You have to drain as much as you can from your career.

'I've stepped it up more this year. And obviously getting the rewards for that as well in the numbers that I'm producing.

'I ate clean anyway but it's just with the cheat meals after games or when you're out with the family, not having as much ice cream.'

Kane picked up a knock during Bayern's 3-0 win at Frankfurt over the weekend but arrived at St George's Park just before lunchtime on Monday ready for a friendly against Wales before the World Cup qualifier in Latvia.

'We had Oktoberfest on Sunday,' he said. 'I had one beer - which was enough in those big glasses.

'My girls wear the dirndls and all that, it's becoming just part of our life. Now, I've been wearing it [lederhosen] now four or five times, and it's just a nice part of the culture that they have there.'