Spurs now eyeing “one of the best 10s in the world”, he’d be a big Kulusevski upgrade
Tottenham Hotspur revived what had been a faltering 2024/25 season by clinching the Europa League title thanks to Brennan Johnson’s decisive strike, which proved sufficient to see off Manchester United in the final. In the aftermath of that triumph, chairman Daniel Levy opted to part ways with the incumbent Australian head coach, instead entrusting the project to Thomas Frank—the highly regarded former Brentford manager—who arrives with a mandate to build on Spurs’ recent success and challenge for further honours in the seasons ahead.
Frank will almost certainly look to strengthen his squad over the summer. While deals for young talents Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso have already been agreed—set to become official when the July transfer window opens—additional reinforcements are expected to arrive as the new coach aims to craft a roster capable of competing on multiple fronts. Fresh signings could help Spurs mount a serious push in the Premier League, where they alarmingly finished nearer the relegation zone than the Champions League places this term, but such investment will inevitably mean tough calls on the existing squad—some players may have to move on to make way for new faces.
One name already facing intense speculation is Dejan Kulusevski. The 25-year-old Sweden international, who initially arrived on loan from Juventus in early 2022 before making his move permanent, has been a competent performer at White Hart Lane—accumulating 25 goals and 30 assists across 146 appearances in all competitions. Those figures underline his ability to both score and create, yet they mask a more uneven output. Despite a respectable overall contribution, Kulusevski has never breached double digits for either goals or assists in a single Premier League campaign, and questions remain over whether his week-in, week-out performances sufficiently justify his status as one of the club’s top earners, reportedly on around £110,000 per week.
Given that AC Milan and Napoli are among the clubs believed to be keen on securing his services this summer, Tottenham could view a sale as an opportunity to generate significant transfer income while freeing up wages and squad space for a more consistently productive attacker. By cashing in on Kulusevski, Levy and Frank would be able to reinvest in a marquee signing capable of delivering a higher return in goals and assists—the kind of decisive contributions that could turn draws into victories and help propel Spurs back into the league’s upper echelons.
Indeed, one such candidate has already emerged from the Bundesliga: RB Leipzig’s dynamic playmaker Xavi Simons. According to GIVEMESPORT, Spurs have placed the 22-year-old Dutch international high on their list of summer targets, identifying him alongside other creative options such as Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze. Simons, who honed his craft at Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona before flourishing in Germany, would bring a different profile to North London—an agile, left-footed number 10 with a proven knack for unlocking defences.
Financially, Leipzig are said to value Simons at around £60 million—a fee that reflects his potential, yet is perhaps more attainable than pricier Premier League alternatives. On the pitch, he has demonstrated an eye-catching blend of goal-scoring and chance-creation: in the 2023/24 season alone he tallied ten goals and 13 assists in all competitions, fashioned 14 ‘big chances’, and averaged 2.5 key passes per game. Even with seven fewer outings this term, his underlying numbers—more expected assists (xA), more created chances, and a higher goals total—outstrip those of Kulusevski, suggesting that he could offer a marked upgrade in Spurs’ attacking midfield.
What makes Simons particularly attractive is that he reportedly earns around £98,000 per week—comparable to Kulusevski’s current wage—meaning that Tottenham could enhance their creative output without significantly inflating their wage bill. Should Levy and Frank secure his signature on similar terms, the Dutch prodigy could quickly establish himself as the creative fulcrum of a rejuvenated Spurs side, capable of delivering the consistent, high-quality contributions required to challenge for silverware both domestically and in Europe.