Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig in a deal worth €60 million (£51.8m).
The 22-year-old Netherlands international has put pen to paper on a five-year contract, with Spurs holding an option to extend his stay by a further two seasons.
Simons underwent his medical on Thursday before finalising the transfer, becoming the latest addition to Thomas Frank’s squad.
The attacking midfielder was a serious target for Chelsea, but Tottenham moved quickly to hijack the deal after suffering several setbacks in the transfer market.
Earlier in the summer, Tottenham failed to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest after he opted to sign a new contract at City Ground.
They also missed out on Eberechi Eze, who opted to join Arsenal from Crystal Palace.
Simons is a fantastic signing for Spurs
After losing James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski to injuries, Tottenham desperately needed a new number 10 to fill the void, and Simons is a fantastic addition.
The talented attacking midfielder has scored 22 goals and weighed in with 245 assists in 78 appearances for Leipzig.
He was a major creative force for the German outfit last season. Aside from bagging 10 goals and seven assists in 25 Bundesliga games, he also created 12 big chances.
Over the past couple of years, Simons has been a bright spark in an underwhelming Leipzig team, and he could be a game-changing signing for Tottenham.
“I’m really happy and can’t wait to get going,” Simons said. “I’ve been dreaming of this for a long time.
“It’s a great club and when I met the head coach I knew straight away that this was the right place for me. I will bring flair to the team, but also hard work and discipline.
“I want to do everything I can to win, for the team and also for the fans.”
Simons becomes Tottenham’s third signing of the summer after Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, and Kota Takai. They’ve also signed Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel after their initial loan deals.