Football London

Xavi Simons has been given permission by RB Leipzig to miss training and travel to London amid transfer links with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

Chelsea have led the pursuit of Simons all summer and Stamford Bridge had been the favoured destination of the Netherlands international, but with no transfer agreed, Spurs have now joined the race his signature. After missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, Spurs have seemingly turned their attention to Simons.

The attacking midfielder has been allowed to leave Leipzig’s training base and fly to England for meetings with Premier League clubs to resolve his future before Monday’s transfer deadline. Spurs boss Thomas Frank has been on the hunt for a new number 10 since he was appointed in June, with injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski making a signing all the more pressing.

Frank has repeatedly expressed confidence that Spurs would boost their squad and after talks with Manchester City over Savinho cooled this week, the club’s focus swiftly shifted to Simons. A product of Barcelona’s La Masia academy, versatile attacker Simons moved to Paris St Germain in 2019 as a teenager before he made headlines during a productive loan spell at PSV in the 2022-23 campaign.

Simons would spend the next two seasons at Leipzig, scoring 22 goals in 78 appearances before his move was made permanent earlier this year. However, with Leipzig willing to let the 22-year-old leave for a sizeable fee, Tottenham have entered the race for his signature and will hope to pull off a much-needed attacking addition before the summer transfer window shuts.

Thomas Frank will get his first taste of European football this season after departing Brentford to take on the Tottenham job. His Spurs team have made a strong start to the Premier League campaign with two wins from two and he will be looking for more of the same in the Champions League.

The format of the Champions League has changed since Tottenham's last appearance in the competition but it is exactly the same setup as what they had to contend with in last season's successful Europa League campaign. The Lilywhites will discover their league phase opponents on Thursday evening when the draw takes place at 5pm at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

A total of 36 teams take part in the league phase and those involved will be split into four pots of nine. A team will be selected and then automated software will be used to pair each side with two from each pot to determine their eight fixtures.

When a club is paired with two teams from a pot, one game will be at home and the other will be away. No teams from the same country can be drawn against each other and a club cannot face more than two opponents from the same association.

Ahead of this evening's draw, we have decided to take a look at the best and worst case scenarios for Tottenham when it comes to their league phase fixtures.

Best case scenario

Opponents: Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, Villarreal, Slavia Prague, Bodo/Glimt, Pafos, Union Saint-Gilloise.

Tottenham already know they can only face six of the nine teams from Pot 1 as Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea are not possibilities as they are from the same association. Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund would be seen as the most favourable ties from Pot 1 as it contains the likes of PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

In Pot 2, a reunion with Eintracht Frankfurt would work well for Tottenham and the same may also apply to Villarreal. Another showdown with Bodo/Glimt would see another Europa League reunion, with Slavia Prague another pick from Pot 3.

In Pot 4, Kairat will be the choice of many but we have gone with Pafos and Union Saint-Gilloise on this occasion with the reasoning for not naming the side from Kazakhstan in the best case scenario explained below.

Worst case scenario

Opponents: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Napoli, Marseille, Galatasaray, Kairat.

Bayern Munich feature in the worst case scenario after Tottenham were humbled 4-0 by the Bundesliga giants in a pre-season friendly earlier this month. Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG are other tough tests but we have gone for Barca as our pick as they have made big strides over the past 12 months and they also have Lamine Yamal in their team.

When it comes to Pot 2, Atletico Madrid are always a tough team to play against and Juventus could also be a bit of an awkward game for the Lilywhites. There could be a couple of tricky games from Pot 3 as an away day at either Napoli or Marseille could be extremely challenging due to the atmosphere inside their respective stadiums.

The same also goes for Galatasaray in Pot 4, although Spurs do know this from their game in Istanbul last November. Finally, we have gone with Kairat as the final team in Pot 4 as it represents a big banana skin for Tottenham, especially if the game is away in Kazakhstan.

That would also not be ideal preparation for their following Premier League fixture due to the time it takes to get there and back.

Champions League league phase schedule

Matchday 1: 16-18 September

Matchday 2: 30 September-1 October

Matchday 3: 21-22 October

Matchday 4: 4-5 November

Matchday 5: 25-26 November

Matchday 6: 9-10 December

Matchday 7: 20-21 January

Matchday 8: 28 January

The pre-draw in full, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham

OK, so after all that, the chances are that Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham will be playing away rather than at home in the third round. Five of the Champions League and Europa League teams will be away, compared to three at home.

It all depends on what order they are drawn. The first three of those teams out of the hat will be away, as will the fifth and sixth. The fourth, seventh and eighth will all be at home.

Carabao Cup rule change and third round ‘pre-draw’ explained

Due to the expansion of UEFA club competition, the third round of the Carabao Cup will once again have a slightly different look about it with the games spread across two weeks.

Scheduling means that teams competing in Europe (apart from Crystal Palace in the UEFA Conference League) will not be able to face each other in the third round. Therefore, two separate bowls will be used for the draw, with the eight European teams in one and the remaining 24 clubs in the other.

A pre-draw will then take place to find out if the European teams are playing home or away. The draw will be conducted live on Sky Sports before the game between Grimsby and Manchester United at Blundell Park.

The first eight ties will then consist of one of the European teams drawn against one of the teams in the other bowl. The remaining eight games will then be drawn from bowl two solely.

Welcome to live coverage of the Carabao Cup third round draw

Evening everyone! Welcome to our coverage of the Carabao Cup third round draw.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur enter the competition tonight to join Brentford, Millwall and potentially Fulham. Follow along with our live blog tonight for everything you need to know before, during and after the draw.

Chelsea have been given a wakeup call in the race to sign Xavi Simons. The RB Leipzig playmaker has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this summer as Enzo Maresca looks to bolster his attacking options.

football.london understands that the Blues are still in talks with the Bundesliga outfit over a deal for Simons. Chelsea have a broad agreement on personal terms with the Netherlands international, whose contract at the Red Bull Arena expires in June 2027.

Manchester City expressed their interest in Simons earlier this month, with Jack Grealish joining Everton on loan and Nottingham Forest signing James McAtee. Despite competition from the Etihad Stadium, it's understood that the Dutchman is currently prioritising a move to west London.

As it stands, it remains to be seen whether or not Chelsea will secure his signature before Monday's deadline. With the Blues yet to wrap up a deal, they've left the door wide open for a Premier League club to swoop in.

According to German outlet Sport Bild, Tottenham Hotspur have recently contacted Leipzig to enquire about signing Simons. The Lilywhites have been in the market for a new attacking midfielder since Arsenal hijacked their deal with Crystal Palace for Eberechi Eze.

The report claims that Chelsea are viewed as the only 'serious option' for the attacking midfielder, having agreed personal terms weeks ago. While the Lilywhites are yet to make an offer, it's said Simons has his heart set on a move to the English top-flight.

Sport Bild reckons that the Blues are only prepared to sign the Dutchman if they can send a player the other way. On Friday night, Leipzig lost 6-0 to Bayern Munich, marking the start of the new Bundesliga season.

Speaking to German publication Kicker after the game, the Red Bull CEO pulled no punches. Oliver Mintzlaff said: "I certainly don’t expect a worse performance than what we presented in Munich.

"We need a response now, too, and not just on the second matchday, but also across the board. There are certainly discussions and interested parties, of course, but it has to be a good fit for all parties.

"If that happens, then there could still be a departure. And if that doesn’t happen, then Xavi Simons is RB Leipzig’s player this season."

Ola Werner provided an update on Simons' future prior to the pummelling at the Allianz Arena. The Leipzig head coach told Sky Sports Germany: "I’m planning with him, he is with us and training well.

"He is motivated and looking forward to the game against Bayern. I’m looking forward to seeing him in this clash. Until the last day of the transfer window, anything can always happen – we know that. What’s important is to be well prepared – and we are."

Meanwhile, Marcel Schafer claimed that Chelsea were some way off striking a deal. The Leipzig sporting director told reporters: "We are generally known for enabling players to take the next step. He has expressed his desire to take the next step.

"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."

Tottenham have entered the race to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, football.london understands, with Chelsea considering a move for Barcelona's Fermin Lopez.

Spurs lost out on Eberechi Eze to Arsenal recently and are now exploring alternatives to the England international. Simons has emerged as an option, insiders close to the Dutchman have confirmed, despite Chelsea having been in talks with Leipzig for over a month at this stage.

Simons has a broad agreement on personal terms over a move to Stamford Bridge. However, there has been no breakthrough between Chelsea and Leipzig yet, with Tottenham now in the race.

Chelsea have been biding their time in negotiations as the west London club look to offload Nicolas Jackson or Christopher Nkunku before making an official offer. Leipzig, though, have options with Simons very much in demand this summer.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are considering their options in the No.10 position, with football.london reporting on Tuesday that the Blues have expressed an initial interest in Lopez from Barcelona. Chelsea have held talks with the 22-year-old Spaniard's representatives to gauge whether he could be persuaded to make the move to Stamford Bridge.

Alejandro Garnacho, too, remains a target for Chelsea in the final five days of the summer transfer window. The Blues are confident they can strike a deal with Manchester United to sign the 21-year-old winger, who has his heart set on joining the world champions. Bayern Munich approached Garnacho's entourage over a loan move to the Allianz Arena but the Argentine's preference has always been Chelsea, so said offer was quickly turned down.

Tottenham could complete another raid of West Ham United in the summer transfer window with Lucas Paqueta the latest attacking midfielder linked. Having lost out on Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, Spurs have seemingly weighed up moves for Morgan Rogers, Nico Paz, Xavi Simons, Maghnes Akliouche, Bilal El Khannouss and several others.

Thomas Frank is also keen to sign another winger even though two of Spurs' three permanent signings can play out wide. Mohammed Kudus and Mathys Tel are those two additions with Joao Palhinha also brought in on loan from Bayern Munich while Kota Takai is very much a prospect for the future.

With just five days of the current trading period remaining, Spurs will need to work quickly if they are to bring in another two players.

Manchester City's Savinho is another being actively pursued by Tottenham but that deal is currently being blocked and it will also depend on the future of Rodrygo at Real Madrid as he will be the likely replacement for his fellow Brazilian.

A departure from the Spanish capital for Rodrygo has looked quite likely over the summer, but him being handed 63 minutes from the start against Real Oviedo in La Liga action has perhaps decreased that possibility which in turn could impact Savinho.

As for Paqueta, it seems unlikely that West Ham will allow one of their rivals to take another of their best players especially given the challenging situation they find themselves in with 11 goals conceded in their first three games.

However, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, he would be open to leaving London Stadium with Spurs having made enquiries over his situation in the last 24 or so hours. After being cleared of spot-fixing charges, reports emerged that a fresh start for Paqueta elsewhere was a serious option.

One positive to Spurs' chances of signing the former Lyon man is that the Hammers still quite clearly need several additions across the pitch and selling Paqueta may be the way to finance that. His former teammate Kudus could also convince him a move to Tottenham is the right path to take.

The Ghana international has got off to a flying start in north London and with the World Cup next year, playing in the Champions League could be very tempting to Paqueta.

While Spurs do need to bolster their frontline, it is important not to panic and must also be remembered that Paqueta has just turned 28 with Spurs' other targets much younger.

It's a big week for London's football clubs with two cup draws taking place. All eyes are of course on Thursday's draw for the Champions League as Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham wait to discover their league phase opponents in the 2025/26 edition of the competition.

Before that all gets underway at 5pm at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, the aforementioned clubs will be in the hat for the Carabao Cup third round draw which is due to be held after Manchester United's game away at Grimsby Town on Wednesday evening. Due to the expansion of UEFA club competition, the third round of the Carabao Cup will once again have a slightly different look about it with the games spread across two weeks.

Scheduling means that teams competing in Europe (apart from Crystal Palace in the UEFA Conference League) will not be able to face each other in the third round. Therefore, two separate bowls will be used for the draw, with the eight European teams in one and the remaining 24 clubs in the other.

A pre-draw will then take place to find out if the European teams are playing home or away. The draw will be conducted live on Sky Sports before the game between Grimsby and Manchester United at Blundell Park.

The first eight ties will then consist of one of the European teams drawn against one of the teams in the other bowl. The remaining eight games will then be drawn from bowl 2 solely.

The third round of the Carabao Cup is due to be played week commencing September 15 and September 22. As Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham will be in Champions League action between September 16-18, they will play their Carabao Cup ties the following week.

So who can London's big guns get in the third round draw and what are the ball numbers? You can find out all the information below:

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Carabao Cup round three potential opponents

Lincoln City

Doncaster Rovers

Wigan Athletic

Bradford City

Burnley

Port Vale

Wrexham

Barnsley

Sheffield Wednesday

Reading

Brentford

Millwall

Wolves

Swansea City

Wycombe Wanderers

Cardiff City

Cambridge United

Southampton

Crystal Palace

Huddersfield Town

Everton or Mansfield Town

Grimsby Town or Manchester United

Oxford United or Brighton & Hove Albion

Fulham/Bristol City

Ball numbers

Chelsea could be prepared to break their long-standing rule in the transfer market, with the club reportedly open to selling players to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Blues face a busy end to the window, still looking to offload several stars deemed surplus to requirements. They've already collected impressive fees for Carney Chukwuemeka, Renato Veiga and several others this month, but plenty more futures need to be resolved before deadline day.

Nicolas Jackson and Christoper Nkunku are two of the first-team stars that Chelsea are looking to axe before adding to Enzo Maresca’s squad, with RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons keen on a move to Stamford Bridge. Nkunku has attracted interest from Leipzig and Bayern Munich, with Jackson also reported to be closing in on a loan deal to Bayern.

However, Chelsea are claimed to regard no club off-limits when it comes to selling players, potentially opening the door to doing a deal with Spurs for the first time since 2001. The Daily Mail reports that while Chelsea once refused to do transfer business with their London rivals, that is no longer the case.

The club's preference is not to sell to a competitor, but it is suggested that Chelsea would be open to talks with Tottenham, who have been tentatively linked with Jackson and Nkunku this summer. The same report states that Chelsea value Jackson at £80million while Nkunku is priced at £40m. However, it remains to be seen whether clubs will be willing to meet their respective asking prices.

The last player Chelsea sold directly to Spurs was Gus Poyet, who joined Tottenham for around £2.2m in 2001. He won the Cup Winners’ Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FA Cup during his four years at Stamford Bridge before ending his career with a three-year stint at Spurs.

Former goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini joined Spurs in January 2009, but was allowed to move as a free agent after spending close to a decade at Chelsea, negating the need for the clubs to engage in direct business. Frode Grodas and Jason Cundy are the only other Chelsea players to have been sold to Spurs in the Premier League era. In terms of moving in the opposite direction, Chelsea have not bought a Spurs player since signing Micky Hazard in 1985.

Despite their previous reluctance to help Spurs, the Blues sold both Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga to fellow rival Arsenal this summer, having sanctioned similar moves for Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz in recent years. Fulham have also seen the likes of Armando Broja and Ruben Loftus-Cheek arrive on loan from Stamford Bridge in the past.

Back in the present day, Jackson has reportedly reached an agreement over a loan move to Bayern, according to German outlet BILD. The striker has fallen down the pecking order following the signings of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, with Aston Villa and Newcastle United previously credited with interest in the forward.

Nkunku is also expected to leave the club this summer, given the arrivals of Jamie Gittens and Estevao in forward positions, combined with Chelsea’s interest in Simons and Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho. The 27-year-old made 48 appearances for Maresca’s side last term and the manager recently provided an update on Nkunku and Jackson’s situations.

"Christo is with us like Nico, but it’s the same answer as Nico,” Maresca explained. “We'll see if they're going to be here. It's always better if they find a solution, as they are going to be more happy - and the club the same.

"But you need someone that is going to buy you. It's not so easy." Meanwhile, Chelsea are also seeking destinations for Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, David Datro Fofana and Alfie Gilchrist. All these players spent time away on loan last season, but Chelsea are claimed to largely favour permanent exits.

Arsenal are continuing discussions with both Bayer Leverkusen and Porto over moves for Piero Hincapie and Jakub Kiwior respectively, football.london understands. However, there is still plenty to be done between the three parties for agreements to be found despite claims of initial agreements.

The Gunners are keen to get maximum value for a player in Kiwior, who earned his place in the starting XI at the end of last season. He helped the Gunners navigate a 5-1 win over Real Madrid and reached the Champions League semi-final. There has been no shortage of interest in the Pole throughout the summer, and only after a move appeared as though it would materialise did Arsenal respond.

Kiwior remains under contract for another three seasons with the club. Signed from Spezia for around €20million (£17.6million) plus add-ons in January 2023, the club feel as though the player has improved and gained in value.

Discussions centre around a potential loan move with an obligation to buy that would see a profit returned in terms of a total fee. After the seven signings so far this summer, there is pressure from the UEFA Financial Fair Play restrictions to continue to work comfortably within them sustainably, as the club always aims to do.

The accelerated move for Eberechi Eze, promoted in part by Kai Havertz's injury, has tightened those restrictions. Therefore, the Gunners knew there was pressure to move players on, and any further signings would be challenging.

Hence why discussions with Leverkusen over the signing of Piero Hincapie, a deal the player is keen to see completed football.london understands, also centres initially around a loan that would become permanent next summer. This would help to spread the costs while still benefiting from an immediate addition.

Hincapie is seen not simply as a replacement for Kiwior, who can play left centre-half and left-back, but as a player who could become a potential starter and rival the existing talent in the squad. Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhaes, who have all featured either at left centre-half or left-back, have suffered with considerable fitness challenges during their time.

Kiwior was a reliable part of the group and performed strongly when called upon, never suffering from an injury while with the team. The Ecuador international has an equally impressive track record of availability, a trait always sought after by the club.

He has been on Arsenal's radar for several seasons, in addition to Andrea Berta's while with Atletico Madrid. It could be the pair's combination could finally make it happen but as the clock ticks down to Monday's deadline, there is a lot of work still to do to make both moves happen.

Tottenham have five days to complete their summer transfer business to hand new boss Thomas Frank the best possible squad to compete at the top of the Premier League.

Spurs have started the season well - one of only three teams in the Premier League to have a 100% record from their opening three matches.

After beating Burnley 3-0 on the opening day of the season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Frank's side followed that up with an impressive 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium, beating Manchester City.

They are one of only two sides in the league not to have conceded a goal yet this season. Keeping Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero fit will be key to that defensive solidity continuing.

While Frank does want to sign another centre-back, a No.10 is more important given injuries to Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.

Spurs have failed with moves for both Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze this summer already and need to get their plans in place to sign an alternative before the window shuts on Monday, September 1.

An experienced Premier League payer would be ideal, given last summer's spend on young talent and here football.london takes a look at who they could sign from other Premier League sides as experienced options.

Arsenal

Spurs are unlikely to do business with their north London rivals for anyone, let alone the player in their No.10 role - club captain Martin Odegaard.

The less said about the other recently signed player who can play in the ten the better.

Aston Villa

Morgan Rogers is a name that has been linked with Spurs, although football.london understands there is no interest in the Villa man at this stage.

Emiliano Buendia wears the No.10 shirt, but struggles to get into Villa's team let alone Spurs'.

Bournemouth

Marcus Tavernier can play in there for the Cherries, while David Brooks wears the No.10 shirt for the south coast club.

It's unlikely Spurs would be interested in either payer to fill the void.

Brentford

Could Frank return to his old club to swoop for a player?

Mikkel Damsgaard is the man in possession of the No.10 role at the Gtech Community Stadium and came on leaps and bounds under Frank in west London.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Matt O'Riley is the one who has started the season as the Seagulls' No.10. He only joined the club from Celtic last summer and has not played an awful lot following an injury last season, and has also been linked with a move to Serie A this year.

Burnley

The Clarets have a number of options in the middle of the park, with Hannibal Mejbri able to play in the 10 or out wide. Then there's Josh Culen and Josh Laurent too.

It would be a surprise to see Spurs go after any of them, though.

Chelsea

Cole Palmer anyone? Like that's ever going to happen.

The Englishman has done wonders at Stamford Bridge so far and will not be sold to Tottenham.

Crystal Palace

Spurs wanted Eze and failed to get him. Palace are now in the market for a replacement and Selhurst Park is not the place to go for Spurs to find a No.10 now.

Everton

The Toffees have just signed Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City to pay this very role.

The fact Spurs, who have long been linked with a move for Grealish, were not involved in any talks, speaks volumes.

Fulham

Emile Smith Rowe is the preferred option for Fulham in the No.10 position when he is not injured.

His Arsenal connection makes a move unlikely and he may not have the consistency to be right for the role anyway.

Leeds

The Whites haven't really played with a ten as such in their opening two fixtures and it's hard to see Tottenham being interested in the likes of Ilia Gruev, Jack Harrison or Ao Tanaka.

Liverpool

Florian Wirtz has been signed this summer to fulfil this role for the Reds.

But if you look further into the squad there is an option for Spurs in Harvey Elliott. Has played in the No.10 for England Under-21s and shone during the European Championships this summer.

Manchester City

Rayan Cherki has been handed the No.10 shirt and scored on his debut against Wolves on the opening day of the season.

It can be hard to see who exactly plays in the 10 position under Pep Guardiola, but there is one player who sits on the bench a lot who would definitely be of interest that is hugely out of Spurs' reach - Phil Foden.

It would be a surprise approach, for sure, but given what Spurs need, it looks like they're going for the wrong City star in Savinho.

Manchester United

Tottenham wanted to sign Bruno Fernandes when he was at Sporting, but could not get the deal done.

Away from the Portuguese though, there is Kobbie Mainoo. his best position is in the eight, but he wants out of United and he is hugely talented, of that there is no doubt.

Newcastle

Anthony Gordon has been playing up front in the absence of Alexander Isak, but he would be the ideal name for the Magpies in the No10.

And, given Liverpool have been linked with him, it would not be a shock to see Spurs make a move. It would be a surprise for Newcastle to sanction it, however.

Nottingham Forest

Let's not go there, shall we?

Sunderland

Another promoted club who don't necessarily play with a No.10 in their starting lineup. There is not much for Spurs to look at here.

West Ham

Here's a name that stands out - Lucas Paqueta. he's been quite the signing for the Hammers and has been regularly linked with an exit.

Having already sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham, the West Ham fans would be livid to see Paqueta leave for north London too!

Wolves

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde would be the obvious choice here, but, given his age, it would be a surprise to see Spurs make a move.

Joao Gomes also plays in the midfield, while Fabio Silva could fulfil the role, but neither would appear to be on Tottenham's radar.