Tottenham gain advantage in Xavi Simons pursuit as Chelsea make a big decision

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with Xavi Simons throughout the summer and it could now be a one-horse race to sign the RB Leipzig midfielder.

Xavi Simons has been attracting plenty of interest this summer and the reason is clear. He is a composed midfielder who is good in front of goal, crafts opportunities for his teammates and is only 22 years old.

Spurs have long been linked with the talent and a recent report suggested Tottenham could hijack Chelsea’s move for Simons after transfer talks stalled. Since then, Spurs have made an enquiry about Simons, with the player keen on a move away from Leipzig.

Further boosting Tottenham’s hopes of securing Simons, Chelsea are evaluating a move for Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez. This comes despite the fact that the Blues have been interested in Simons for some time.

Tottenham may have overtaken Chelsea in the race to sign Xavi Simons

A new report from Dom Smith of The Standard has confirmed that Chelsea are indeed working on a move for Fermín López.

However, the 22-year-old is not the only player who could make a late switch to Enzo Maresca’s team. Alejandro Garnacho is also being considered and both players are reportedly bigger priorities to Chelsea than Simons.

Garnacho is yet to make an appearance for Manchester United since he came off the bench against Tottenham in the Europa League final. Spurs have already rejected the chance to sign Garnacho this summer.

What other midfielders are Spurs linked with?

Tottenham are considering a move for Lucas Paqueta, but it would be surprising if West Ham were willing to sell two key players to their rivals in the same transfer window. On top of this, Paqueta is not pushing for a move as he is grateful to the club for standing by him when he was under investigation for match-fixing, for which he has since been cleared.

While Paqueta may be an unrealistic target at this point in time, Tottenham are considering a move for Kobbie Mainoo. The young midfielder was once viewed as the next big English talent, but his minutes at Old Trafford have been limited recently.

It has also been reported that Spurs could launch a late bid for Adrien Rabiot. The 30-year-old has been frozen out at Marseille after clashing with a teammate.

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