Why Chelsea pulled out of Xavi Simons deal, and how Thomas Frank convinced him
Xavi Simons’ agent has revealed the reason why Chelsea failed in their pursuit of the playmaker, and how Tottenham swooped in to seal the deal.
Simons joined Tottenham late in the summer window, despite being heavily linked with a move to Chelsea throughout the summer.
Tottenham were in the market for a creative player after James Maddison suffered an ACL injury, but failed in their initial pursuits.
Arsenal had hijacked a deal for Eberechi Eze while long-term target Nico Paz stayed at Como amid links to Real Madrid.
Still, after talks between Simons and Chelsea began to stall, the north London club took advantage and agreed a £51m deal with Leipzig.
Now, Simons’ representative Ali Barat has revealed the reason behind Chelsea’s failure to make a deal happen, and added on how Tottenham capitalised at the decisive moment.
Chelsea faced constraints in Xavi Simons pursuit
Simons’ agent Barat spoke to French publication RMC Sport about the saga regarding the midfielder, and confirmed that Chelsea had “constraints” regarding a deal.
He said: “Chelsea was always clear with us, they had certain constraints that made it difficult to move forward with discussions”.
Barat also added how Spurs convinced Simons, as he said: “When the talks with Tottenham started, it became clear that this would be a project that would be a perfect fit. I think the discussion he had with Thomas Frank was really key to Xavi’s decision”.
| Season statistics | Xavi Simons |
| Appearances | 33 |
| Goals | 11 |
| Assists | 8 |
Chelsea’s loss already appears to be the gain of their London rivals as Simons has impressed since joining Tottenham, already providing an assist.
He has often been deployed on the left flank, replacing Heung-Min Son, who joined LAFC earlier in the summer window.
However, Tottenham fans are not pleased with the way Simons is being deployed due to the creative void left by injuries to Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski in the middle.
Chelsea to regret Xavi Simons call as Cole Palmer injury strikes
Chelsea may have rued the decision not to make a move for Simons as Cole Palmer suffered a groin injury in the latest defeat to Man United.
Facundo Buananotte is another option for Maresca, but the Argentine wasn’t initially included in Chelsea’s European squad, with questions surrounding his long-term future.
Despite plenty of attacking talent, their choice not to act on Simons could prove costly as Tottenham’s gain may come back to haunt them as the season unfolds.