Tottenham Hotspur holding talks over a pre-transfer deadline bid to rival Chelsea for RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur are holding talks over a pre-transfer deadline bid to rival Chelsea for RB Leipzig attacker Xavi Simons, according to the Telegraph.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium club want to bolster their options in the final third, and the versatile Dutchman has emerged as a target.

Spurs are optimistic that Simons would be open to a move, despite his apparent interest in joining Chelsea.

Leipzig value the 22-year-old at around £60 million, and Tottenham could be ready to meet their demands as they were willing to pay the same fee for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.

However, Spurs will likely only table an official bid if they are fully convinced they can quickly close a deal for the Netherlands international.

Having seen the aforementioned duo turn them down, the Lilywhites want to minimise the threat of the Blues stealing Simons away.

Signing the talented La Masia graduate would be huge as his versatility and quality would come in handy as they seek quality squad depth.

The former Paris Saint-Germain winger can play centrally as a No. 10, off the left and right.

He will perfectly fill the void in head coach Thomas Frank’s Tottenham squad after the departure of Son Heung-Min and injury to James Maddison.

He bagged ten goals and seven assists in 25 Bundesliga games last term after ending 2023-24 with ten goals and 15 assists in 43 appearances.

The Spurs target left the Eredivisie after 22 goals and 11 assists for PSV Eindhoven at the end of 2022-23, and he will fancy his chances of impressing in the Premier League.

The excellent dribbler is a constant counter-attacking threat whose passes and through balls open up defences, and he also loves to shoot from a distance.

There are no guarantees that Tottenham will be able to pip Chelsea to his services, but a deal is possible if they can manage to convince him to join them.