Tottenham sign Simons from RB Leipzig for £52m

RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Xavi Simons has five goals in 28 appearances for the Netherlands

Tottenham have signed the Netherlands attacking midfielder Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig for £51.8m (60m euros).

The 22-year-old, who has been chased by several European clubs this summer, said he has "been dreaming of this for a long time" after completing his medical and joining Thomas Frank's side.

Simons scored 22 goals and assisted 24 others in 78 appearances for Leipzig, who he joined on loan from Paris St-Germain in 2023 before signing permanently in January of this year.

He has also scored five goals in 28 appearances for the Netherlands, having made his debut at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Simons added: "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."

Spurs manager Frank said Simons, who has signed a "long-term deal", is a "great addition" who "already has good experience" despite his age.

The midfielder follows Joao Palhinha and Mohammed Kudus as summer arrivals at Spurs.

Chelsea held talks with Leipzig over a move for Simons this summer but are set to complete a £40m move for Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho.

Spurs failed in their bid to sign Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White earlier this summer, while one of their main targets Eberechi Eze chose to join rivals Arsenal from Crystal Palace.

'A very exciting modern attacker' - analysis

Simons was linked with many European clubs this summer and represents a coup for Frank - but where will he play at Spurs?

Frank is known for his tactical flexibility and has employed two different formations in his first three games in charge - a 5-3-2 in the Super Cup final against Paris St-Germain and his more familiar 4-3-3 in the Premier League.

Simons is best suited to the latter, where he would most likely play on the left of Frank's front three so he can cut inside to use his favoured right foot.

The attacker was predominantly used on the left in the Bundesliga last season with 75% of his time on that side of the pitch. He can also play centrally or on the right if needed.

However, RB Leipzig's former boss Marco Rose often asked Simons to play either deeper in a traditional 4-4-2 or more narrowly in a 4-2-2-2 - in a 'box midfield' formation which encouraged full-backs to get forward - which suggests he'll need time to adapt to Frank's methods.

Former West Ham, Wolves and Crystal Palace coach Edu Rubio said: "Simons' range of passing is excellent and he also possesses a fantastic ability to carry the ball at pace which makes him a great asset when his team is launching an attack.

"He can add goals to the team too, but he may struggle at times with his weakest foot. He is very committed with his defensive duties and can help the team greatly with high pressing and counter-pressing.

"He may need to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League, but there is no doubt he is a very exciting modern attacker with a lot to offer."

This graphic shows Xavi Simons' positions for Leipzig last season - with the majority of his time on the left flank

Have Spurs found their creator-in-chief?

Tottenham's obvious disappointment at missing out on Gibbs-White and Eze will be tempered somewhat by Simons' arrival - and his numbers from last season offer plenty of encouragement.

He was directly involved in 19 goals last season for Leipzig in all competitions, with 11 goals and eight assists, despite missing 15 matches because of an ankle injury.

But it is his ability to create chances and play passes into dangerous areas which will be of particular interest to Frank.

Simons provided more than seven passes into the box per game in 2024-25 and created an average of 2.2 chances per 90 minutes, with both totals higher than those of Eze and Gibbs-White. He also attempted more through balls.

From Barcelona to Tottenham - who is Simons?

A product of Barcelona's La Masia academy, Simons moved to Paris St-Germain in 2019 as a teenager before impressing during a loan spell at PSV in 2022-23.

He would spend the next two seasons at Leipzig, scoring 22 goals and providing 24 assists in 78 games across all competitions for the German side.

He is the second major transfer from Leipzig to the Premier League this summer, following Benjamin Sesko's move to Manchester United in a deal worth £73.7m.

Named Xavi, after the former Barcelona and Spain midfielder, Simons has long been one of the most sought-after players in Europe.

He quickly became a gem in the Catalan giants' esteemed academy after joining aged seven, and was recognised far beyond it.

By the time he was 14, Simons boasted more than a million Instagram followers, a contract with Nike and had starred in an advert alongside Neymar and Ronaldinho.

Yet at 16, Simons' career trajectory took a huge detour. Having failed to reach an agreement with Barcelona he joined PSG, following in the footsteps of his idol Neymar - saying the Brazilian looked after him like a "little brother".

At 17, in February 2021, he made his debut but further opportunities were limited and, by the end of the following season, Simons had accumulated just 11 senior appearances in all competitions.

He went in search of regular football.

The Dutch international is a versatile prospect who operates on either wing or behind the striker and speaks six languages.

He became the Netherlands' youngest player to feature in the knockout stages of the World Cup when he made his debut against the USA in Qatar in 2022.