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Xavi Simons has now admitted that he has a clear preference regarding which position he wants to play at Tottenham Hotspur.

Following his side’s defeat to Bournemouth, where Spurs struggled to fashion scoring opportunities, Thomas Frank admitted that he expects Simons to add creativity and flair to the Tottenham midfield.

In the interview, Frank suggested that Simons can play on the left and as a number ten, with the 22-year-old’s arrival handing the Dane plenty of options in attack.

However, the new Tottenham Hotspur signing has made it clear that he feels far more comfortable in one position than the other.

Xavi Simons wants to play as a number ten at Tottenham

Spurs fans will have to wait until after the international break to see the attacking midfielder play for the club.

Many of them will be keeping an eye on the Netherlands’ upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Poland and Lithuania to see how the former RB Leipzig man gets on.

Ahead of the qualifiers, Simons has been speaking to the Dutch media, and he gave a blunt answer when asked about his preferred position.

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When asked where he would like to play, the new Tottenham signing told AD Sportwereld: “I prefer playing at number ten, you know that.”

Simons is excited ahead of his Spurs debut

Simons got a fantastic reception at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when he was presented to Spurs fans ahead of the club’s clash against Bournemouth.

Speaking to Sky Sports on Sunday, Simons admitted that he cannot wait to make his debut in the Premier League, confessing that he is over the moon with the move to N17.

Tottenham Hotspur held talks with Crystal Palace late in the transfer window about signing one of the Eagles’ biggest stars, but the South London club were in no mood to let the player leave.

Tottenham and Palace held plenty of discussions over different players this summer, but none of the deals materialised.

Spurs came very close to agreeing a deal for Eberechi Eze this summer, before the attacking midfielder was hijacked by their North London rivals.

Additionally, Palace even agreed a deal to sign Manor Solomon on loan during deadline day, only to pull out of the move at the last moment.

It has now emerged that there was one other player that the two London clubs spoke about this summer.

Tottenham held talks over a late Adam Wharton deal

It has now been revealed by TBR Football that Tottenham Hotspur made an attempt to sign Adam Whaton in the final weeks of the transfer window.

The report says that both Spurs and Man United asked about a deal for Wharton, but the two Premier League giants were quickly informed by Palace that the 21-year-old is not for sale.

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Chelsea and Real Madrid also made enquiries for the England international at different points this summer, and they were met with the same response.

The report adds that the midfielder is also being closely followed by Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

Wharton did not want to leave Selhurst Park

The outlet spoke to transfer market expert Graeme Bailey, who confirmed that the 21-year-old is on the radar of several clubs across the continent.

However, the journalist revealed that the youngster was not keen on leaving Selhurst Park as he prioritised continuity ahead of a World Cup year.

Bailey told TBR Football: “Wharton is one of those generational players where Europe’s big clubs are in regular contact – they don’t want to miss out. Palace are firm in their response, they never entertained the prospect of a departure this summer, and they made that known.

“I am told the player himself and his people are aware of the interest, but there are no signs of him wanting to leave. He is focused on having a full season with Palace and making England’s World Cup squad. That’s it. Palace and Wharton know if he continues his progress, there will be big moves in the future, but that is for then and not now.”

Xavi Simons has shed light on the conversation with Thomas Frank that convinced him that a move to Tottenham Hotspur would be the right fit for him.

All through the summer, Chelsea were installed as the favourites to land the Dutchman, with Tottenham’s London rivals even agreeing personal terms with Simons.

However, Spurs managed to hijack Chelsea’s move for Simons in the final days of the transfer window, with Tottenham fans over the moon with the 22-year-old’s arrival.

According to reports, Frank played a key role in convincing Simons to join Spurs, and the attacking midfielder has shed light on what the Dane told him.

Xavi Simons admits Thomas Frank told him something very interesting

The new Tottenham signing has now opened up on his decision to move to N17 and the conversation he had with the Spurs head coach prior to the move.

Simons revealed that, unlike the other managers he has had in his career so far, Frank also discussed the weaknesses in his game and shared how he can improve those aspects.

The Netherlands international admitted that the conversation convinced him that a move to Tottenham would be the right step for his development.

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Speaking about his move to Spurs, Simons told Eindhovens Dagblad: “The manager (Frank) told me a lot. Positive things, but also things I need to improve. It’s fantastic how he sees football, how he wants to make players better. Spurs is the right place for me to develop.

“And it’s great that he was honest, that he wants to improve things for me. I always think the coaches are the most important people to base a decision on. As a player, you see a coach more than your family.

“What needs to be improved? I prefer to keep that to myself, but I heard different things from Thomas Frank than from other coaches in the past. That makes sense. When I went to PSV, I was much younger, so you have to work on different things then than you do now.”

Frank has shared what he tells Tottenham’s transfer targets

Simons is not the only player who has cited Frank as the reason behind his switch to N17.

Joao Palhinha also admitted that Frank was the number one factor behind his Spurs move, revealing that he was won over by how the Dane presented the project.

In his press conference last week, Frank explained that he is honest in his conversations with Tottenham’s transfer targets and does not tend to paint too rosy a picture.

On the evidence of what Simons has now said, it appears that the 51-year-old’s approach is working very well.

Thomas Frank has confirmed his UEFA Champions League squad, and while Tottenham fans were expecting a few surprises, the omission of some high-profile names has sparked plenty of debate.

Tottenham Hotspur’s new manager, Thomas Frank has now registered his squad for the UEFA Champions League league phase, with a few notable names missing out on the list.

Six players have been excluded from the competition at this stage, with Mathys Tel, Kota Takai, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Yves Bissouma and Radu Dragusin all absent as Spurs prepare for their return to Europe’s biggest stage.

For Frank, this season represents his very first taste of managing in the Champions League, a test that carries significant weight as he looks to guide Tottenham through their group.

Tottenham fans react to Thomas Frank’s UCL squad

The news of Tottenham’s squad list quickly spread across social media platform X, where supporters wasted little time in voicing their opinions on the exclusions.

One fan suggested that the calls made were largely expected, writing: “People will moan whatever happens but basically it is three injured players, someone being transferred, someone not ready for the first team and then Tel. I would have been tempted to drop Gray instead of Tel/Odobert but it is what it is.”

Another Tottenham supporter highlighted the decision to leave out Tel in particular, remarking: “Tel instead of Kinsky is bound to start some drama,” while a different fan added: “Which is why I do not understand why we signed Tel in the first place.”

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Others were more critical of the club’s handling of the Frenchman, with one fan posting: “Tel is going to get sold at the end of the season I think. I do not want him to go, but I cannot see how he can be happy with this. Tottenham made his deal permanent, and then proceeded to sign players that push him down the pecking order. Before any moronic idiots jump on the hate, no, Tel is not s**t. He is a very good player and everyone forgets he is a young boy, only 20. Just hope he sees past this.”

More comments followed, with one supporter noting: “To be fair there was not really anyone else we could leave out than Tel,” while another was frustrated: “Why are we leaving Mathys Tel out, terrible planning.”

The questions continued: “I understand the other five but why Tel?” while one final fan summed up the frustration: “We spent £30m (€35m) on a guy to leave him out of the UCL phase. Huh?”

Mathys Tel must keep his head down

Frank’s Champions League squad was always going to divide opinion, because a difficult call had to be made somewhere in the selection.

Mathys Tel has been the one to miss out, and with his confidence looking fragile in recent weeks, the manager’s decision to leave him out feels far more significant than the omissions of the other five players, which were more straightforward to explain.

The French forward endured a frustrating UEFA Super Cup final when he missed from the spot, and he has not fully settled in a Tottenham shirt since his initial loan spell last January.

He now faces the task of putting his head down and working his way back, with the left wing spot still open for him to claim if he can take his chances when they come.

Tottenham have started the season with a strong defensive record, yet one statistic shows that Pedro Porro has not hit the ground running under Thomas Frank.

Thomas Frank’s side have shown early on in the Premier League season that they are capable of keeping clean sheets even against some of the best attacking sides.

Two clean sheets in three games with one goal conceded is an impressive record for a side that finished 17th last term, ending on negative goal difference.

Frank’s side have held their own even against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, keeping a clean sheet against the Citizens away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham’s Pedro Porro tops unwanted Premier League stat

The 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth in matchweek three was a wake-up call that there is still room to improve as a team and as individuals.

A statistic from WhoScored has now revealed that one Tottenham player has been easy to get past in the opening three gameweeks of the Premier League.

According to the outlet, no defender has been dribbled past more times than Pedro Porro in the league this season, with the Spurs full-back beaten a total of six times in the three gameweeks so far.

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Porro’s attacking demands are hurting his defensive solidity

Porro struggled against Bournemouth in Tottenham’s last fixture, with Antoine Semenyo finding it easy on the right of Spurs’ defence.

Thomas Frank had to take the Spaniard off following his inability to contain the Ghana international, with Destiny Udogie making his return for the first time this season, while Djed Spence had to move over to the right.

Porro offers more to Tottenham than his defensive capability, with the full-back possessing a wide range of passing that allows him to create from open play and dead-ball situations.

However, at this level, every facet of the game matters and Frank will be hoping he can help his full-back improve on this statistic.

We have compared Tottenham Hotspur’s next five Premier League fixtures with those of their big six rivals to see how they stack up.

Tottenham Hotspur could not manage a victory in their final fixture in August, with Thomas Frank’s side falling to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth.

The defeat meant Tottenham missed the chance to go top of the Premier League table during the international break, with the Lilywhites now firmly sat in fourth place with six points from a possible nine.

Meanwhile, Liverpool top the Premier League table after securing a 1-0 victory over Arsenal, maintaining a perfect record of three wins, while Chelsea are now in second place with seven points, having beaten Fulham in matchweek three.

Arsenal are level on points with Tottenham but sit above them in the League table only on goal difference, despite having conceded the same number of goals as Tottenham and Chelsea, one.

Tottenham next five Premier League fixtures compared to their rivals

Following the defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to Bournemouth, Spurs Web has now taken a look at Tottenham’s upcoming fixtures compared to their Premier League rivals.

Tottenham’s next five games:

Liverpool’s next five games:

Arsenal’s next five games:

Chelsea’s next five games:

Manchester City’s next five games:

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Thomas Frank has wasted no time making bold calls ahead of Tottenham’s Champions League campaign, with several high-profile names set to miss out on the club’s squad list.

One thing has been on the minds of many Tottenham Hotspur supporters ahead of their long-awaited return to the UEFA Champions League, and that has been the issue of squad registration.

Tottenham do not have the required number of club-trained players to meet UEFA rules, which means a handful of big names were always expected to miss out once the squad was finalised.

The Champions League draw has already been made, and Spurs are now fully aware of their eight different opponents in the new League phase, with Frank’s first taste of UCL football coming at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against Villarreal.

Thomas Frank makes UCL squad call for Tottenham

Thomas Frank has now submitted his UEFA Champions League squad and, according to the list published on UEFA’s official website, the Dane has made some major calls by leaving out six players.

As things stand, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Kota Takai, Mathys Tel and Radu Dragusin have all been omitted from Tottenham’s Champions League group.

Meanwhile, new signings Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, Xavi Simons and Kolo Muani have all been included, as Spurs look to make a statement on their return to Europe’s premier competition after a two-year absence.

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Tottenham omissions raise big questions

The decision to leave out James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski is understandable, with both midfielders battling long-term injuries.

Kulusevski is expected to return between December and January, but by then the League phase will be drawing to a close, while Maddison may not play at all this season as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury.

Yves Bissouma’s exclusion feels more telling, as it could well spell the end of his Spurs career, with a transfer remaining possible for Bissouma with transfer windows elsewhere still open.

Tottenham fans have predicted the top scorer for this season and how many goals they think they will accumulate, with Brennan Johnson, Richarlison and Kolo Muani all backed.

Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping that after strengthening their squad this summer, performances across all competitions will show signs of real progress.

Last season, Tottenham were far from consistent, as their domestic form left a lot to be desired, but they were close to flawless in Europe and eventually lifted the Europa League trophy in Bilbao.

At the heart of the goals was Brennan Johnson, who ended the campaign as the club’s top scorer in the Premier League, the Europa League and in all competitions, with his standout strike being the toe poke in the Europa League final.

Tottenham fans make predictions on top scorer

With fresh additions arriving in the squad following the closure of the transfer window, we took to X to ask Spurs fans to share who they believe will finish as the club’s top scorer this season.

Plenty of supporters were quick to make their feelings known, with a range of names being mentioned. One fan confidently stated: “Johnson – 15 goals (all comps).” Another threw in a different shout: “Muani 18.”

The predictions continued to pour in, with one fan even predicting unlikely figures for a defender: “Richarlison (~25 goals) Kolo Muani (~20 goals) Matar-Sarr (~15 goals) Xavi (~10 goals) Spence (~10 goals) Johnson (~10 goals) Pedro Porro (3 or 4 really awesome goals) VDV (a couple of bangers from set pieces) Romero (one very important goal). Solanke, idk.”

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Other replies stuck to similar names, with another Tottenham supporter adding: “Johnson 14 all comps,” while more predictions arrived for Johnson at 12 and for Randal Kolo Muani at 18 in all competitions.

One fan said: “Richy with 25 in all comps if he can stay fit. I think the goals will be really evenly spread again like last season.” A final prediction suggested: “Solanke 19 (12 PL – 7 other).”

Brennan Johnson and Richarlison lead early scoring race

So far this season, Richarlison and Johnson are tied as the club’s leading scorers, with both players having found the net twice in all competitions.

However, with the wealth of attacking options now available to Thomas Frank, it is difficult to say with certainty who will go on to finish as the top scorer.

Johnson has already proven his reliability, having ended as Spurs’ top marksman last term, and with his strong start to the current campaign, he has shown every sign of being able to produce a similar return again.

A young Swedish starlet, who is rumoured to be on Tottenham’s radar, has given a blunt response when asked about the speculation linking him with a move to the North London club.

Tottenham boast two of the best Swedish players in their squad, with Dejan Kulusevski being joined by Lucas Bergvall, who was voted Spurs Player of the Year in his first season at the club.

It was rumoured during the summer that the Lilywhites had their eye on another one of the best young talents from the Scandinavian country.

Tottenham allegedly explored a move for AIK Fotboll starlet Kevin Filling, who impressed in the lower division Swedish side Enkopings SK FK on loan earlier this year.

Kevin Filling is not paying attention to Tottenham rumours

The 16-year-old striker has stood out since returning to his parent club, having found the back of the net twice in five appearances for AIK this season.

However, the teenager has his focus firmly on continuing his development at the Swedish club, insisting that he paid no attention to the rumours about his future.

When asked how he reacted to reports linking him with Tottenham Hotspur and Man United, Filling told Fotboll Skanalen (as relayed by Sport Witness): “I try not to think about it in any special way. I just look at where I am now. I’m at AIK and I continue here every training session.

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“I’m going to get better as a person and as a player. That’s where I am (in my mind). For me, it feels pretty simple. Because that’s who I am as a person. That’s for others to handle.”

Barcelona beat Tottenham to another talented young Swede

Spurs have also been keeping their eye on another young Swedish forward, Roony Bardghji, who the Lilywhites allegedly approached this summer regarding a move to N17.

Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has given his seal of approval for Xavi Simons’ move to Tottenham Hotspur, with the former Everton boss believing that the attacking midfielder can thrive in North London.

The search for a new number ten at Tottenham was a saga that Spurs fans would not have enjoyed, with Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White both snubbing the Lilywhites.

However, the saga had a happy ending, with Xavi Simons eventually sealing a move from RB Leipzig to Tottenham in a £51m deal.

Thomas Frank has admitted that he is over the moon with Spurs’ capture of Simons, and he is not the only one who is excited about the transfer.

Ronald Koeman makes admission about Xavi Simons’ move to Tottenham

Spurs fans will have to wait another week and a half to see their new signing play for the club, with Simons joining the Netherlands squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Poland and Lithuania.

He is accompanied in the squad by his Tottenham teammate, Micky van de Ven, and his international boss, Ronald Koeman, believes that the 22-year-old has taken the correct step.

Koeman told Algemeen Dagblad: ” I’m very pleased with how this squad is developing, both as a team and individually. In June, he (Simons) already outlined his options and wishes to me. Last week, he told me it had become Tottenham Hotspur.

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“A fantastic club for him, in my opinion. You always have to wait and see, of course, but this seems like a wonderful step for him.”

Simons is the man to solve Tottenham’s creativity issues

Thomas Frank has fielded a workmanlike midfield combination with Pape Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha in three of Tottenham’s four matches this season.

The shortcomings of that midfield were laid bare against Bournemouth last Saturday, with the Lilywhites struggling to create chances.