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Xavi Simons transfer verdict: Expert says Chelsea should THANK Spurs for hijacking deal
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 29 Aug 2025 20:48 BST
- 5 min read
Analysis
Chelsea are on the verge of officially missing out on RB Leipzig superstar Xavi Simons.
The Netherlands international has been a top target for Enzo Maresca’s side throughout the summer transfer window, however the Blues opted to prioritise player sales instead and Simons has now agreed to join Tottenham Hotspur.
Current ETV
Xavi Simons
AM (C), M (L)
RB Leipzig
Xavi Simons
AM (C), M (L)
RB Leipzig
ETV Range
€60.7M - €74.2M
Simons registered 20 goal contributions in 33 games for Leipzig last season and he is expected to replace the injured James Maddison in the No.10 role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Although Chelsea were eager to add Simons to their squad this summer, Bundesliga expert Ronan Murphy believes their failure to secure his signature may be a blessing in disguise.
Why Chelsea should be relieved they missed out on Xavi Simons
Speaking to FootballTransfers in early August, when Simons looked set to join Chelsea, Murphy admitted: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on you. What do they say for fool me three times? Because that is exactly what Chelsea are about to do.
“Timo Werner - RB Leipzig to Chelsea, 2020. Christopher Nkunku - RB Leipzig to Chelsea, 2023. Xavi Simons - RB Leipzig to Chelsea, 2025?
“Chelsea spent over €100m on the first two players and neither worked out at Stamford Bridge. Now they are set to sign a third attacking player from RB Leipzig, and this one is arguably the worst of the lot.
“Simons is a huge talent, that much is obvious when you ignore the raw stats and watch him play. He's had some incredible performances for the Netherlands and RB Leipzig, but he is extremely inconsistent.
“We have seen him win matches on his own, but when Leipzig needed him in the final parts of the 2024-25 Bundesliga season, after smashing their club record to sign him permanently, he almost disappeared.
“The only thing Simons has over Nkunku right now is age, as he is still just 22. But would Chelsea be better off not being fooled a third time and just sticking with the French attacker who scored more goals last season than the new man they are willing to spend €60m on? Fool me thrice, shame on Chelsea.”
Despite this, Murphy believes that Simons could excel at Tottenham as the environment at the club is far better suited to elevating his strengths.
“I think it's a similar situation to Jack Grealish at Manchester City vs at Everton or Aston Villa,” the Bundesliga expert revealed. “Xavi Simons will relish being the star at Spurs in a way that he would never have been at Chelsea.
STATS
Xavi Simons
AM (C), M (L)
RB Leipzig
Xavi Simons
AM (C), M (L)
RB Leipzig
“There is also less pressure to deliver on a consistent basis at Spurs, which has been his biggest downfall at RB Leipzig.
“If he didn’t deliver at Chelsea, he’d have been dropped and they could easily sign someone else to replace him.”
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