Signing Xavi Simons was a real coup for Spurs, beating Chelsea to one of Europe’s most exciting young talents.
For most of the summer, it looked like Xavi Simons would be heading to Stamford Bridge.
That was until Spurs made a £52 million swoop for the Dutchman towards the end of the window.
Xavi’s agent has revealed that talks with Chelsea stalled when trying to reach a wage figure that pleased both parties. That number would not be found, and he would elect to come to North London instead for £195,000 per week.
But despite the high-profile nature of this signing, Thomas Frank has made it clear that the former RB Leipzig star’s place in the team is not a given.
Thomas Frank suggests Xavi Simons will have to battle for starting role with Lucas Bergvall
Ahead of the Brighton game, Thomas Frank was asked about Xavi, and how he planned to bed him into the side.
The German boss described what he wants from his number 10, and points to Xavi not being a shoo-in for the starting berth.
He says: “Right now, our strongest bit in the team is the structure and the way we defend, which is also a very offensive way of defending with the high pressure because we win the ball high, we keep initiative, we can be aggressive and intense.”
Xavi may be the star addition of the summer, but Frank has been impressed with Lucas Bergvall’s effort, and his output hasn’t been half bad either.
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As he puts it: “I also need to say that Lucas is doing quite well in the number 10 position. Different profile than Xavi, but offers something different. We’re going to play a lot of games this season.”
Some competition for places can only benefit this Spurs squad, and struggling to pick between two high-quality players is never a bad problem to have.
Premier League table doesn’t matter til April according to Frank
Frank’s press conference was a positive affair. After all, the start of his tenure at Spurs has been nothing but positive.
When asked about Spurs’ position in the table, though, Frank admitted it’s not something he puts much stock in until the latter stages of the campaign.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| 3 |  TottenhamTottenham | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
| 4 |  BournemouthBournemouth | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| 5 |  ChelseaChelsea | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| 6 |  EvertonEverton | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
Questioned on when he looks at the table, Frank’s response was: “April? I think I looked at the table a couple of times after one of the last games. I remember thinking, ‘oh, is that team that low or that high?’ because I’m not looking at it.”
Frank is no doubt pleased with the start his team have made to the season, but he doesn’t want any complacency seeping in. He explains: “I’m trying to focus on ourselves and our performances and what we can do. It’s so easy to get dragged into something you can’t control.
“The fans should dream and hope, that is what football is about.”
If the form continues like this, Spurs fans will do just that.
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