Football London

Tottenham Hotspur are set to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig in a deal that will excite the supporters and require further decisions for Thomas Frank over his squad.

Spurs look set to seal the €60million (£52million) signing of the 22-year-old Netherlands international to fill the void in creativity left by the long-term injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski. Simons, who is expected to sign a five year deal with an option for a further two seasons after being impressed by Frank and his project ahead, will bring a huge boost in quality to Frank's squad

His arrival will add to the earlier £55million move for West Ham attacker Mohammed Kudus, the loan of Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich and the £5million transfer for Japan international centre-back Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale. Mathys Tel's loan move was also made permanent from Bayern.

So with further moves for another winger and a centre-back set to be attempted in the remaining days of the transfer window, how does all of that affect Spurs' long-standing squad issues that has seen players left out every season from their European squad?

Here's what it means for both their Premier League and Champions League squads once Simons seals his move to north London.

Premier League

Simons and Palhinha must be added in now, while Son Heung-min, Fraser Forster, Timo Werner, Alfie Whiteman, Sergio Reguilon, Josh Keeley and Alejo Veliz have all come out of the squad from last season. Two players must come out of the Under-21s list and into the main lists in Antonin Kinsky and Matthew Craig, although we can assume the latter will not be part of the first team squad this season so we're not going to include him here.

In all Spurs have 17 non-homegrown players with Simons' arrival when they can only register 17, but there is still space here for a new signing or two, especially if they sign a homegrown player and when you look at players who could depart like Bryan Gil, Yves Bissouma and Manor Solomon.

That's mainly because a club's Under-21 players do not need to be included on their 25-man squad list yet are eligible to play in the Premier League. To be considered an Under-21 player for this current Premier League season, players must have been born on or after January 1, 2004. That means Tel and Takai do not have to be registered in the main squad and Yang-min Hyeok, Luka Vuskovic, Ashley Phillips, Alfie Devine, Jamie Donley, George Abbott, Alfie Dorrington and Mikey Moore, who would have qualified, have all headed out on loan.

It also appears that Kevin Danso qualifies as a homegrown player in Premier League terms because he was in the youth academies at Reading and MK Dons for years before leaving England at the age of 16 and later returning for a season at Southampton.

The Premier League rules state that "a 'Home Grown Player' means a player who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21)."

With that in mind, here's how the club's Premier League squad looks right now. It shows that players must leave before any more can be registered, unless they are in the under-21 bracket.

Premier League non-homegrown players (17 currently, 17 maximum allowed): Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Pedro Porro, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Joao Palhinha, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Pape Matar Sarr, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons.

Premier League homegrown players (Seven currently and eight minimum required): Dominic Solanke, Kevin Danso, Brandon Austin, Ben Davies, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Djed Spence.

Notable Under-21s players: Kota Takai, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel, Dane Scarlett.

Champions League

If you've followed this all before you know that is the part where it gets horrendously messy. The European squad has been an area that has been a constant problem for Spurs and will continue to be for a while longer until the recent batch of 18-year-old signings eventually become B list players after two years and then become club-trained players three years down the line from when they joined.

The major issue in the Champions League, as it was in the Europa League last season, lies in the fact that UEFA's rules state that no club can have more than 25 players on their A-List during the season, of whom at least two must be goalkeepers. The rules then say that "as a minimum, eight of those 25 places are reserved exclusively for 'locally trained players' and no club may have more than four 'association-trained players' listed among those eight places. If a club have fewer than eight locally trained players in their squad, then the maximum number of players on List A is reduced accordingly".

So what is a locally-trained player? There are two different kinds. One is 'club-trained players', those players on a club's books for three entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21. The other is 'association-trained players', who were on another club's books in the same association for three entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21. Danso will not fit into that latter category because he left England at the age of 16.

Then there is a B-List for players born on, or after, January 1, 2004 and who have been eligible to play for the club for any uninterrupted period of two years since their 15th birthday – or for a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year. Players aged 16 may be submitted if they have been registered with the club for the previous two years without interruption.

So with all that in mind, Spurs' Champions League squad in its current state is pretty huge and running over in both non-locally trained spots and association trained ones.

That they only have one club-trained player in goalkeeper Brandon Austin now when they need to register four, means Tottenham would have to leave three spots open in what should be a 25-man squad, but instead immediately becomes a 22-man one.

So with the addition of Simons, Palhinha, Kudus and Takai, Spurs have 22 players to fit into 17 non-locally trained spots and six association-trained players for those four other spots. Any association-trained players over those four spots at the end of the window would need to be crowbarred into the main group although Maddison is likely to be kept out for the league phase at least with his ACL injury. Decisions will also have to be made over Radu Dragusin and Dejan Kulusevski and their potential return dates from their ACL and patella injuries respectively.

The simplest way to look at it is that right now Spurs have 28 senior players to fit into 21 spots, keeping Austin aside, and that's before they even try to sign anyone else in the remaining days of the window.

Tottenham need to get plenty of players out of the door this summer and that's why you could well see some surprise departures in the weeks ahead and expected ones, plus loans aplenty or players having to face being left out of the Champions League squad for the knockout stages at least.

Spurs need a bigger squad to compete in all four competitions but they just don't have the club-trained numbers to make that work in Europe.

European non-locally trained players (22 currently, 17 maximum): Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Joao Palhinha, Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Mathys Tel, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Kota Takai, Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons.

Association trained players (six currently, four can be used in exclusive slots): Dominic Solanke, Ben Davies, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Djed Spence, Archie Gray.

Hello and welcome to the latest Chelsea transfer news live blog from football.london. The Blues are due to be busy before 7pm on deadline day (1 September).

football.london understands the club have now agreed a £40 million fixed fee with Manchester United, who have included a 10 per cent sell-on clause in the deal, for Alejandro Garnacho. The winger will sign a seven-year contract and is, fittingly, the seventh signing of this summer transfer window.

Garnacho joins Dario Essugo, Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro, Jorrel Hato, Liam Delap and Mamadou Sarr, with another arrival before deadline day certainly possible. Chelsea have held talks for Fermin Lopez from Barcelona and RB Leipzig player Xavi Simons.

The latter, however, now looks set to sign for Tottenham Hotspur after the Blues prioritised Garnacho over him. That may have impacted Simons' stance on having his heart set on Chelsea.

As for outgoings, football.london understands West Bromwich Albion have agreed to pay £2million plus add-ons for Alfie Gilchrist. Saudi Pro League clubs showed interest in the defender; however, he wanted to stay in England after spending last season on loan at Sheffield United.

The club also want to sell Nicolas Jackson, who appears primed for a loan to Bayern Munich, although Liverpool and Newcastle United could show late interest, as per the Telegraph. Meanwhile, a deal with Milan for Christopher Nkunku is in place.

Jose Mourinho's managerial career is at a crossroads after being sacked by Fenerbache on Friday morning.

The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss has seen his status as one of Europe's finest managers evaporate in recent years. Many have pinpointed Mourinho's decline to when his second spell at Stamford Bridge ended in December 2015.

Since then, the Portuguese has failed to win a league title despite securing silverware at Manchester United and Roma. Mourinho's appointment at Fenerbache was a clear indication of his standing in the game, and his failure to enjoy any form of success has only dented a once-burgeoning reputation.

Yet his name still carries weight even if he is no longer a contender for the biggest jobs in European football. Graham Potter's struggles at West Ham United, for example, may lead those in East London to consider a move.

And Mourinho himself has already hinted at being open to a Premier League side near the bottom of English football's top-flight if an opportunity arises.

“I think the best thing I have to do is when I leave Fenerbahce, I go to a club that doesn’t play UEFA competitions,” he said after a contentious refereeing decision involving Fenerbahce in October 2024.

“So you find a club in England from the bottom of the table, needs a coach in two years, I am ready to go. And I don’t want to say any more about it.”

Mourinho to West Ham makes sense. The 62-year-old has a property in London and would relish the chance to prove his critics wrong after failures at Man United and Tottenham.

For West Ham, it's clear that Potter's possession-based philosophy does not suit the club's recent DNA. The Hammers have seen success with more pragmatic managers, including Slaven Bilic and David Moyes.

Mourinho is the godfather of pragmatism and will instil a win-at-all-cost mentality in the club's dressing room - something they clear lack under Potter. It would be no surprise to see 'The Special One' rock up in England one more time this season.

Jose Mourinho is on the search for another job after being sacked as head coach of Fenerbahce.

The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss has been with the Turkish side since the start of the 2024/25 season and helped guide them to second in the Super Lig last term, 11 points adrift of rivals Galatasaray. But he has now departed just two days after Fenerbahce failed to qualify for the Champions League league phase following defeat to Benfica in the play-off round.

"We have parted ways with Jose Mourinho," read a club statement on Friday morning. "We thank him for his efforts for our team and wish him success in his future career."

Mourinho's previous clubs include Roma, Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Porto. The 'Special One' won the Premier League three times during two separate spells with the Blues, while he also picked up the FA Cup once and the League Cup three times.

His time with Tottenham was less successful, however, with the Portuguese replacing Mauricio Pochettino in November 2019. After 17 months in the job Mourinho was sacked, with his departure coming just days before the League Cup final against Manchester City.

It may not be too long until we see Mourinho back in the Premier League, however. Graham Potter is coming under increasing pressure at West Ham, with the Hammers losing both of their league games so far, as well as their Carabao Cup second round match to Wolves in midweek.

West Ham travel to Nottingham Forest on Sunday and Potter really does need a positive result to appease disgruntled fans. In fact, Potter is now the 6/5 favourite to be the first manager to leave their role this season, according to Betfair.

With the international break upon us after this weekend's games, it is very much possible that Potter is relieved of his duties should the West Ham board feel a change is necessary. If this happens, this may pave the way for Mourinho, who has openly admitted he does intend to return to England one day.

Speaking in October last year, Mourinho said: "I had three clubs in England, Chelsea twice, so in four different periods I've coached in England and I loved it. I've been so, so lucky to live in beautiful countries and beautiful cities like Istanbul, Rome, Madrid, Milan but my family lives in London. London is home so one day I want to be back, unless nobody wants me."

Judging by these comments, West Ham could be an option then. And if that does happen over the next couple of weeks, Mourinho could be set for an immediate return to Tottenham. That's because Spurs travel to London Stadium on September 13, which is the game straight after the international break.

Of course, a lot needs to happen and Mourinho may want to take some time to consider his options before jumping straight back into a job. But it can not be ruled out.

Fenerbahce have brutally sacked former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho.

The Turkish club were beaten 1-0 by Benfica over two legs in the Champions League play-offs and will, therefore, play in the Europa League this season. Mourinho leaves Fenerbahce just two matches into the new season having being appointed in 2024.

The self-titled 'Special One' arrived in Turkey after being sacked by Roma earlier in the same year. Mourinho was brought in to help win Fenerbahce's first league title since the 2013/14 season, with arch rivals Galatasaray largely dominating the trophy scene domestically.

But the Turkish Super Lig club ended last campaign as runners-up and Fenerbahce's failure to qualify for Europe's elite competition this term appears to have been the final straw.

"Our Professional Football First Team's technical director, Jose Mourinho, who has been carrying out his duties starting from the 2024-2025 season, has parted ways with us," the club said in a statement on revamped social media platform X (was Twitter).

"We thank him for his efforts for our team until today and wish him success in his future career."

Uncertainty now surrounds Mourinho's future in football management, although he has previously admitted he would like to manage a national team in a major tournament one day.

"Yes. I want to play a European Championship or a World Cup - to unite a country around its national team in the same way I have managed so many times with clubs and fans," he told Italian outlet Corrieredellosport. "I want to do it for football, for what this sport represents. It will be incredible."

Mourinho was last seen in the English top-flight managing Tottenham, where he got the axe in 2021. Following disappointment in north London and a mixed tenure at Manchester United between 2016 and 2018, Mourinho's fortunes have dwindled since his second departure from Chelsea in 2015.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly agreed a deal to sign RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons. Chelsea have been at the forefront of the chase for Simons throughout the summer, with Stamford Bridge being the Dutch international's preferred choice.

However, with no transfer deal in place, Spurs have now entered the competition for his signature. After missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, Spurs have seemingly shifted their focus to Simons.

The attacking midfielder has been given permission to leave Leipzig's training base and travel to England for discussions with Premier League clubs to settle his future ahead of Monday's transfer deadline. Since his appointment in June, Spurs head coach Thomas Frank has been searching for a new number 10, with injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski making a signing increasingly urgent.

And journalist Fabrizio Romano, who specialises in transfers, has claimed that Spurs have agreed a €60million (£51m) deal for Simons.

"EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham agree €60m fee with RB Leipzig for Xavi Simons! Official bid accepted, green light after #THFC sent formal bid following player’s encouragement," he said on X (Twitter).

"Spurs want deal done today also on player side + medical in the next hours. Here we go, expected soon."

Simons racked up 11 goals and eight assists in 33 appearances last season for Leipzig despite missing two months in the middle of the season with an ankle injury. When he returned to the side, he registered 14 goal involvements in 18 games in the Bundesliga.

Tottenham have a good relationship with the German club and Simons ticks plenty of boxes for Frank in that he can play as a No.10 and also on the left wing.

Thomas Frank will be eyeing up a third successive Premier League win when Tottenham return to action on Saturday. Fresh from beating Burnley and Manchester City in their opening two fixtures, Spurs take on Bournemouth in N17 this weekend.

A point against the Cherries would be enough to take the Lilywhites to the summit of the Premier League table as Arsenal and Liverpool, who also both have a 100 per cent record this season, take on each other at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. Frank will be targeting all three points, though, as his team look to carry on their impressive start to the campaign.

Unfortunately it is Tottenham's last game before domestic action goes on pause for the first international break of the season. So could Frank switch things up in regards to his Spurs team this weekend? Our football.london writers have made their team selections below.

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham Hotspur correspondent

Frank has continually surprised us so far with little tweaks and changes in personnel and we all expected him to play a certain way at Manchester City with a back five and instead he went with a back four as his team nailed the game plan perfectly at the Etihad Stadium.

With that in mind you could suggest that he might bring in Wilson Odobert to add something different or Lucas Bergvall in the number 10 role but then how do you justify dropping Pape Matar Sarr, who was brilliant against City, or Brennan Johnson, who has scored in back-to-back games.

There could be a temptation to give Dominic Solanke his first start of the season up front, but Richarlison has been excellent so far this season. Destiny Udogie has also been back in training for a week now but Djed Spence has done more than enough to keep his place at left-back.

The games will come thick and fast after the international break and everyone will be getting minutes and chances to impress so for this weekend Frank can go with an unchanged winning line-up.

Gold's team: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kudus, Sarr, Johnson; Richarlison.

Rob Guest - Football writer

There's no reason for Thomas Frank to change his Tottenham team that beat Manchester City last weekend as they've had a full week to prepare for the Bournemouth match. However, the Dane may still choose to alternate in a couple of positions.

Destiny Udogie could be back in the squad this weekend but it will come too soon for him to start. That means Djed Spence continues at left-back and Udogie may get an opportunity to get minutes in the tank towards the end of the encounter.

Dominic Solanke will have to contend with a place on the bench once again due to Richarlison's excellent form. The Brazilian will continue to lead the line and have support from Mohammed Kudus, Pape Matar Sarr and Brennan Johnson behind him.

Chelsea will be hoping to announce two new signings before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Blues have endured another very busy trading period with just over 20 deals already sanctioned and likely more to come.

RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons, Barcelona's Fermin Lopez and Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United have all emerged as targets for the latter stages of the window with it appearing as though the latter was the club's priority.

Talks for the other two attackers have not yet stopped, though another attacking arrival is likely dependent on exits for Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku with progress made on both.

With all of that being said, football.london has provided a fresh perspective on the latest Chelsea transfer news and rumours.

Lopez and Simons transfer latest

Tottenham are now firmly in the race for Simons with Sky Sports Germany claiming an offer has been submitted by Spurs. The Dutchmen was in London Thursday in an attempt to resolve his future with a move to Stamford Bridge now appearing less likely.

Chelsea's approach for Lopez may have played a role in that and the latest claims out of Spain regarding the 22-year-old however, are much more positive for Chelsea with Marca revealing he has performed a huge U-turn on his stance to depart boyhood club Barcelona and is now open to joining the Blues.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has added that further talks have taken place with Lopez even speaking to Enzo Maresca. Barcelona are said to want in excess of £51.9million (€60m) to sell.

football.london says: Despite Barcelona and Spurs making their feelings clear, Chelsea seemingly hold the cards regarding both Simons and Lopez.

A final decision on which target to sign is needed swiftly however, with it likely Simons is growing impatient especially as a move to the Lilywhites is now a concrete option and Barcelona's Lopez asking price increases.

The two versatile attackers have a somewhat similar profile with funds, re-sale value and how they would suit Maresca's style of play, likely to be factors considered by Chelsea before a formal offer is lodged for one.

Garnacho agreement

Chelsea will pay £40million to Manchester United after agreeing to sign Alejandro Garnacho with the latter also including a sell-on clause in the deal, as football.london understands.

The Argentine is set to sign a seven-year contract after undergoing his medical with a move to Stamford Bridge having been his wish for a number of months.

football.london says: Considering the price and his age, this has the potential to be a really good deal for Chelsea.

Despite the injury to Cole Palmer, how the Blues performed without him against West Ham United may have impacted the decision to pursue a winger over a more central attacker. Joao Pedro also being capable of playing behind the striker could have played a role.

Tottenham have turned to RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons as another candidate to fill the central creative hole in Thomas Frank's midfield as they hope to avoid a third transfer disaster of the summer window.

The Dane has begun life at Spurs in a positive fashion with his team scoring five goals and keeping two clean sheets in back-to-back Premier League victories against Burnley and Manchester City while only losing out in the UEFA Super Cup to PSG following a penalty shoot-out in Udine.

However, the attempts to improve the squad for Frank have brought more failures than successes and now with just a handful of days left of the transfer window, Tottenham are scrambling to try to provide the quality of players the new head coach needs to challenge on all four fronts this season.

In essence, Spurs have brought in two new faces to the squad that finished 17th last season in the Premier League while winning the Europa League in Mohammed Kudus for £55million from West Ham and Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich.

While both players have made an instant impact at the club, so Frank has also lost Son Heung-min to LAFC and James Maddison to an ACL injury for much of the season.

"Erm, you can say that's two players in, two players out, so probably pretty similar I would say," Frank admitted to football.london when asked if his squad was any stronger now than before the window opened. But also, as I said, I think in my first press conference, was that I think it's a good squad. I think there's some talented players. I think there's some quality players in there as well so probably the same level, but I think that's good.

"Then it's up to me together with the players and the staff to make sure we can compete, and then as I said, we do what we can to strengthen it."

Frank's first choice for the No.10 role was Morgan Gibbs-White but two weeks after a bid that Tottenham thought had landed the player that all ended in legal issues around a controversial release clause, a sudden new contract and an apologetic phone call from the Nottingham Forest midfielder to the Spurs boss.

Then weeks later came the Eberechi Eze saga as Tottenham believed they had tied up a move for the England international with Crystal Palace and the player, only for the club he wanted from the start, Arsenal, to emerge at the last moment and snatch him out of their north London rivals' grasp.

Now comes another potentially painful move for another attacking midfielder who previously looked to be off the table in 22-year-old Xavi Simons.

The Dutchman has looked all summer like he would be leaving RB Leipzig for Chelsea only for that transfer trail to grow somewhat cold.

On paper Simons ticks plenty of boxes for Frank and Spurs in that he can play as a No.10 and also on the left wing so in essence he's a replacement of sorts for both Maddison and Son, but Tottenham are aiming to bring in another player for those roles as well.

Simons also falls into the category of being experienced despite his age, having played 137 games of senior football, across spells at PSG, PSV Eindhoven and RB Leipzig after coming through Barcelona's academy. He has also turned out in 13 games in the Champions League, with four goal involvements. Spurs are back in that competition and await their league phase opponents on Thursday.

Simons racked up 11 goals and eight assists in 33 appearances last season for Leipzig despite missing two months in the middle of the season with an ankle injury. When he returned to the side, he registered 14 goal involvements in 18 games in the Bundesliga.

Tottenham have a good relationship with the German club, as would you if you took Timo Werner off their hands for 18 months. However, that's not the relationship they must be wary of when it comes to this potential transfer.

It's the relationship between Simons and Chelsea, for they appear to have been his preferred option all summer. There are some suggestions that the Blues must sell first before coming in for the Netherlands international, but Tottenham heard this all before with Arsenal and Eze and that ended in embarrassment.

The difference perhaps in the Blues' case is that they must comply with a UEFA punishment which states that they must end up with a positive transfer balance with last season's Conference League-winning squad to be able to register new signings for their coming Champions League involvement.

Leipzig have given permission for the skilful Simons to miss training "until further notice" and travel to London with his representatives to sort his future out one way or another.

Tottenham sense an opportunity and are believed have verbally offered a sum close to the €70million (£60.4million) that Leipzig are looking for and that has been done with the hope that a deal will get done amid those Chelsea fears.

There are also the wages with suggestions that the young Dutchman would be seeking more than £200,000 a week, which in Spurs' tight wage structure would place him up around the top of the tree as he was at Leipzig.

There's no doubting that Simons is a talented player and his energetic style should suit Frank's system. That he can play either centrally or on the left should ensure he starts most weeks for the north London side. Reports in Germany, rightly or wrongly, attempted in the summer to paint the player as having had some attitude issues during an underwhelming campaign for Leipzig.

Those within the game with knowledge of the player, told football.london that it was more the precocious nature of a gifted footballer who has been a star since his mid-teens. They also said that it would take Simons a little while to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League, although the transition from the Bundesliga is often a better one for players to similarities in the pace.

Leipzig had splashed out €50million (£43.2million) in January this year to turn his 18-month loan from PSG into a permanent one, albeit only with a contract until 2027. Their deal was set to be worth anywhere up to €80million (£69.1million) with the various add-ons included and also a sell-on clause for the French side reportedly inserted.

However, it's the nature of the deal as another opportunistic approach from Tottenham rather than a carefully planned out one that could concern Frank. The Dane has come from a club in Brentford that had everything planned out to the letter, with succession plans for players and staff in place.

Spurs instead turn in the transfer window like an oil tanker. It takes an age and everyone appears to see them coming from a mile away. They have had an entire summer, once Frank was appointed, to build a squad fit for chairman Daniel Levy's declarations that he wanted the club to compete in all four competitions rather than one or two and that Tottenham needed to win the Premier League and Champions League at some point.

Yet in the final days of the window, Spurs are scrabbling around like the window was only a week long. The three key positions Frank wanted new recruits in - the No.10, winger and centre-back roles - remain unfilled and those players the club want to move on like Bryan Gil and Yves Bissouma remain on the books while Manor Solomon's future is still unclear.

Simons feels like a classic Tottenham attempt - a young player who is an investment for now and the future and has suddenly come on to the market due to more powerful clubs stepping back. The key though will be whether Chelsea truly have stepped back or like Arsenal are just waiting to pounce when the price is right.

At Stamford Bridge Simons would not be the main man, with Cole Palmer playing in the central role he thrives in whereas at Tottenham he has the chance to become the team's talisman. Ultimately it could come down to where the young Dutchman thinks he has the biggest chance of succeeding and that is where Spurs have fallen short in the past. They cannot afford to do so again.

Draw simulated

We know the basics of the draw after last year's revamp. Each side will be drawn against two teams from each pot - but cannot be selected to face teams from their own country.

How will that work in practice? Take a look at our simulated draw to see how things could look.

Prize money

It's no secret that being in the Champions League each year is a huge financial boost for teams at the top. But how much will they be earning?

Well, just for making this stage last year teams were awarded more than £15.5million! You can find a full breakdown of the sums here.

What it's all about

But who will be the one left standing at the end of the season?

PSG are the favourites following their success in Munich against Inter, but can they go back-to-back? Or will an English team be able to get their hands on the trophy in Budapest next year? Only time will tell...

Pots confirmed

The draw is set to kick off around 5pm BST. So wherever you are in the world, you can try and work out what time it starts for you!

Apart from that, the pots have already been confirmed, so here are the potential teams who could face each other.