The agent of Xavi Simons has opened up on his client’s move to Tottenham after weeks of talks with Chelsea.
Chelsea appeared to be leading the race to sign Simons right up until the end of the summer transfer window.
The Blues were keen to welcome the Netherlands international to Stamford Bridge and agreed personal terms with Simons over a move.
But Chelsea struggled to agree terms with RB Leipzig and the delay gave London rivals Spurs the chance to secure his signature.
Soon after entering the transfer race Tottenham confirmed they had signed Simons in a deal worth a little over £50m.
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Simons’ agent Ali Barat admits he was working on a deal with Chelsea but says ‘certain constraints’ made that move difficult.
Barat and Simons ‘respected’ Chelsea’s stance and after opening talks with Tottenham were ‘quickly’ won over by new Spurs boss Thomas Frank.
‘There was genuine interest from both sides,’ Barat told the Daily Mail. ‘Chelsea had certain constraints at that moment, which made it difficult for them to move forward.
‘We totally respected that and they were really clear with us from the beginning about where they were at with it.
‘So when discussions with Tottenham began, their connection and clarity stood out and it quickly became clear that their project was a great fit for Xavi’s development.
‘A talk that Xavi had with Thomas Frank was really key because he hit on a lot of good points. Xavi has heard “Oh, you’re amazing” before, but Thomas really hit him on the points that he had to work on.
‘It was total honesty. Xavi has got a monster mentality. He’s been a wonderkid since 14 years old. He’s not afraid of challenges. He really took those words from Thomas in a positive way.’
Simons scored 22 goals and assisted 24 others in 78 appearances for Leipzig.
The 22-year-old made his Tottenham debut in Spurs’ victory over West Ham at the weekend and also started the club’s opening Champions League win over Villarreal.
After sealing a move to north London, Simons said: ‘I’m really happy and can’t wait to get going.
‘It’s a great club and when I met the head coach I knew straight away that this was the right place for me.’
Frank, meanwhile, described Simons as a ‘great addition’ with ‘good experience’ after Tottenham successfully hijacked Chelsea’s deal.
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