Bolo Zenden believes Xavi Simons ‘probably made the right decision’ joining Tottenham over Chelsea in the summer transfer window.
Chelsea were strongly linked with a move for the 22-year-old Netherlands international before he swapped RB Leipzig for Spurs in a £52m deal.
Simons has shined for Spurs across their last two games, scoring in Tuesday’s 3-0 Champions League victory over Slavia Prague.
In Spurs’ last Premier League match, Simons produced a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win against Thomas Frank’s former side Brentford.
With Simons in impressive form, ex-Chelsea player and assistant manager Zenden has shared his thoughts on his Dutch compatriot, feeling he made the correct call by moving to north London instead of Stamford Bridge.
Get personalised updates on Chelsea every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
‘I don’t know how close he was to signing for Chelsea – I think as a player you always have to see where you have the most chance of playing, where you think you can develop most, and you only develop if you’re playing,’ Zenden told football betting site BetVictor.
‘I think Xavi Simons is happy at Spurs. It’s a big club, big team, fantastic stadium, and the training facilities are second to none.
‘Of course he probably made the right decision, if you go to a team, you have to look at what the manager likes, his view on how to play, and if it fits you as a player?
‘I wasn’t sure when I saw him at Spurs if he’s playing as a nine or as a 10? Has he got a bit of a free role in there? And maybe that’s something that suits him best.
‘Who knows what would’ve happened if he signed for Chelsea, he maybe wouldn’t have that sort of freedom that he gets now at Spurs.
‘It’s always difficult to make certain decisions, but it’s always nice when it works out well.
‘And I think the people at Spurs are happy that he’s there at the moment.’
Spurs head coach Frank hailed Simons after his performance in the 2-0 win over Brentford on Saturday.
Frank said: ‘I’m so happy on Xavi’s behalf. He’s been working so hard. He’s a 24-7 pro. He’s so determined. He wanted it so badly.’
Following the 3-0 victory against Slavia Prague, Frank added: ‘I think he built on a good game on Saturday, produced again.
‘Good link-up play, nice turns in the middle of the pitch and [he] has [the] acceleration to go past a player.
‘I like his work ethic and there was great recovery run on 90 minutes which is crucial for us.’
Simons has played a total of 20 games for Spurs to date across all competitions, registering two goals and three assists.
