Leipzig Star Admits ‘Good Feeling’ From Xavi Simons’ Tottenham Switch | OneFootball

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RB Leipzig star Christoph Baumgartner has admitted that Xavi Simons’ departure to Tottenham Hotspur gave him a good feeling as he knew he would be required to step up.

Following a relatively slow start to the transfer window, the north Londoners accelerated their way towards signing creative attacking players.

Eberchi Eze was their first choice, but their bitter rivals Arsenal hijacked a proposed swoop and Spurs turned to Simons, pushing through a deal with Leipzig for his services.

The Netherlands international was signed from Die Roten Bullen for €60m fee, with the Bundesliga side having been ready to cash in on him.

Austrian international Baumgartner was also linked with a move away in the summer, with Crystal Palace keen on him.

He stayed put though and admits that seeing Simons go did give him a good feeling as he now needs to step up.

Baumgartner also insisted that he enjoyed playing alongside Simons, wishing him luck for his journey ahead in England.

“When a player [like Simons] who was a fixture leaves and then his place becomes vacant, you suddenly realise that the team needs you, and that gives you a good feeling”, the RB Leipzig star was quoted as saying by German outlet RB Live.

“I realised that pretty quickly.

“I wish Xavi all the best; I enjoyed playing with him, too.

“But of course, it’s always the case when a position becomes vacant, someone has to step into that role.

“I’ll try to implement that as best I can.”

The Austria international started in RB Leipzig’s first league game last weekend against Heidenheim and he also scored a goal in their 2-0 win.