Xavi Simons contract details emerge after Tottenham agreement as Chelsea admit defeat

Tottenham seems to have pulled off a transfer hijack of their own as Daniel Levy closes in on Xavi Simons.

Tottenham held a huge interest in Simons earlier in the transfer window. But opted to pursue other options.

However, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze’s transfers both falling through, the Dutchman once again became a concrete option.

In his quest not to see another transfer target go down the drain, Levy has accelerated his efforts to sign Simons in recent hours.

Daniel Levy rubs his nose while in the stands at Tottenham.
credit: Imago

Xavi Simons to sign long-term contract at Tottenham

After James Maddison sustained an ACL injury against Newcastle United in the summer, Spurs intensified their efforts to find an attacking midfielder.

Signing Lucas Paqueta from West Ham was one option, while Morgan Rogers was considered. But it seems Simons is the chosen one for the Lilywhites.

As reported by Sacha Tavolieri via X on Friday, 29 August, Simons is set to undergo medical tests and sign a long-term contract with Tottenham within hours.

The midfielder gave Spurs the green light on personal terms after Tottenham and RB Leipzig agreed on a £51.8million deal.

Chelsea have fallen behind in the race with Simons set to be a Spurs player before the window closes.

Is Xavi Simons a good James Maddison alternative?

Simons is set to take over as number 10 at Tottenham with Maddison sidelined for an extended period.

Last season in the Bundesliga, the Dutchman scored 10 goals and provided seven assists, while the Englishman netted nine and assisted seven.

While both players provided the same number of assists, Maddison’s expected assists were 0.04 higher. However, Simons created 0.10 more chances per 90.

SimonsStatisticsMaddison
0.29Assists0.35
0.25Expected assists0.29
2.13Chances created2.03
1.38Successful dribbles1.64
3.67Touches in the opposition box4.21
Simons vs Maddison 2024/25 league stats [FotMob]

Despite this, Maddison excels in successful dribbles completed and touches in the opposition box.

From this, it seems that while Simons fares slightly better in creative statistics, Maddison is a more complete player. However, at 22 years old, the Dutchman still has room to grow and develop.

Therefore, Simons could turn out to be the perfect replacement for Maddison and may even challenge his starting spot upon his return.

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