Five things Tottenham fans might not know about new signing Xavi Simons
Tottenham are close to hijacking a deal for Xavi Simons, as Thomas Frank adds to his attacking midfield options.
Simons was a top target for Chelsea, but Football Insider exclusively revealed that Spurs could hijack the deal, which they have subsequently looked to have done.
Spurs have lost James Maddison to a long-term injury, whilst Dejan Kulusevski is also a lengthy absentee, making a new addition in the number 10 role a high priority for Frank.
Below are five things you may not know about Simons as he makes his move to North London.
Where is Xavi Simons from?
Simons is a Dutch international who was born in Netherland’s capital city, Amsterdam.
However, Simons moved to Spain when he was young and started his footballing journey at CD Thader near Alicante before joining Barcelona’s academy.
His father and brother were also footballers, meaning Simons was always destined to follow the same path.
Who has Xavi Simons played for?
The 22-year-old has played for three club’s in his senior career, with Spurs set be his next destination.
Simons swapped Barcelona for PSG, and after coming through the academy at the French club he was included in the first team by former Spurs boss Maurichio Pochettino.
He left PSG for PSV for one season before returning to Paris, where he was immediately sent on loan to Bundesliga club RB Leipzig.
The move to RB Leipzig only became permanent in January, with Simons wanting to leave after just six months due to their failure to qualify for Champions League football.
Who has Xavi Simons played with?
Despite his young age, Simons has played with an array of stars already in his career.
Most recently at RB Leipzig, Simons played behind striker Benjamin Sesko was is now at Manchester United.
Liverpool‘s Virgil van Dijk is Simons’ captain at international level, where he plays alongside a host of Premier League stars including Spurs’ Micky van de Ven.
When Simons was emerging at PSG he shared the pitch with the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
What has been the finest moment in Xavi Simon’s career so far?
Simons is already a Ligue 1, Coupe De France and DFL-Supercup winner and has won numerous individuals awards in the Netherlands.
At 19, Simons was the top goal scorer in the Eredivisie with 19 goals in 34 games for PSV.
His impact at RB Leipzig in contributing goals has seen him earn his move to the Premier League, whilst he also impressed at Euro 2024 for his country with three assists and a goal in six games.
| Xavi Simons | Stats |
| Appearances | 78 |
| Goals | 22 |
| Assists | 24 |
Who is Xavi Simons’ idol?
Hence his first name, Simons looks up to former Spain and Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez, as per The Sun, who in 2017 claimed Chelsea were scouting the then 13-year-old for their academy.
Xavi played over 500 times for Barcelona and went back to manage the side between 2021 and 2024.
Chelsea could have snapped Simons up at a young age and he could potentially have already been a first team starter at Stamford Bridge.