Tottenham must be wary of Xavi Simons repeat as fresh Chelsea transfer battle to unfold in January

Xavi Simons' move to Tottenham has been far from the roaring success that many people expected so far.

The Dutchman joined from RB Leipzig for £52million in the latter stages of the summer transfer window and is struggling to adapt to Premier League football in the early stages of the campaign.

Simons produced his brightest performance yet for Tottenham in their resounding victory over Copenhagen on Tuesday night, but he is yet to translate that into domestic action.

There have been numerous concerns surrounding the lack of impact from Thomas Frank's new star in recent weeks, and the Lilywhites must be wary of that situation repeating itself in January.

Tottenham competing with Chelsea for struggling Jonathan David

Tottenham beat Chelsea to Simons' signature at the end of the summer, but the Blues may well be feeling that they dodged a bullet, given the start that the youngster has made in the Premier League.

There will now surely be concerns from Spurs that a similar scenario could repeat itself, as the pair of London rivals prepare to go toe to toe once again for another target in January.

Tottenham and Chelsea are both keeping a close eye on Juventus striker Jonathan David, with a view to potentially making a move for him this winter, according to Gazzetta Dello Sport.

The Canada international has quickly fallen out of favour at the Turin outfit, despite the fact that he only joined in the summer.

David is said to be on something of a downward spiral at the Old Lady, and that could prompt a move away in January.

That assessment will surely have the alarm bells ringing for the Lilywhites, who won't want to risk their desire to get one over Chelsea resulting in another potential mishap in the market.

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Spurs must look beyond Jonathan David's recent struggles

Tottenham were linked with David in the summer prior to his move to Serie A, and they must surely be keen to overlook the struggles that he has endured so far this season.

The North Londoners even lodged an enquiry to try and sign the 25-year-old, who ultimately joined Juventus on a free transfer after his deal with Lille had expired.

His form with the French side provides far more reason for optimism for Spurs, given the prolific goal record that he enjoyed in Ligue 1.

The frontman surpassed 25 goals in all competitions in three straight seasons for Lille, and it is clear that he has the goal-scoring instincts that could see him become a success in the Premier League.

With that in mind, his recent struggles will surely have Spurs fearing a Simons repeat, but they must look beyond that when deciding whether he is a player that they truly want.

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