Chelsea’s interest in Xavi Simons never materialised into a transfer move this summer and the midfielder’s agent has spoken out about what went wrong.
The Dutchman signed for the Blues’ rivals Tottenham instead at the end of August, joining from RB Leipzig in a deal worth £51million.
22-year-old Simons has been a hit with the Spurs faithful, grabbing one assist and making a case to earn himself a permanent spot on Thomas Frank’s teamsheet.
It could have all been so different for Simons, though, had he reached an agreement with Chelsea. Now, his agent has revealed why a move never happened.
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Chelsea’s ‘constraints’ made for ‘difficult discussions’, says Xavi Simons’ agent
Speaking to French outlet RMC Sport, Simons’ agent Ali Barat lifted the lid on why his client’s Chelsea move fell through.
He said: “Tottenham and Chelsea are both fantastic clubs with solid projects and there was real interest from both sides. But Chelsea was always clear with us, they had certain constraints that made it difficult to move forward with discussions.
“So when the talks with Tottenham started, it became clear that this would be a project that would be a perfect fit for Xavi.”
It’s clear the versatile forward is thriving with Spurs, and fans were even more impressed with Simons when Thomas Frank brought him on in a different position at Brighton.
Will Thomas Frank keep playing Xavi Simons in the number 10?
The Spurs manager had been deploying the Dutchman on the left wing in front of Djed Spence in his first games with the club, but many fans felt he should be moved to play as a number 10.
Asked if playing in midfield is a more natural position for Xavi after the Brighton draw, Frank said: “I think he can play both. I think he can easily play the left winger, that can go more inside. I also think he’d have the right position too.
| Stats | |
| Minutes | 100 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 1 |
| xG | 0.3 |
| xAG | 0.2 |
| Progressive carries | 9 |
| Progressive passes | 9 |
| Progressive passes received | 9 |
“Sometimes the playmakers, they drift to the side because there’s no space in the middle. So I think he can do that. But 10, obviously, he can play that as well.”
It remains to be seen where he will start Simons, or if he will start him at all, against Doncaster in the League Cup or when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday.
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