Johan Lange has revealed that he and the others in charge of Tottenham noticed something very interesting about Xavi Simons as soon as they reached out to the Dutchman about a late move to N17.
All through the summer, Chelsea were installed as the favourites to land the Dutchman, with Tottenham’s London rivals even agreeing personal terms with Simons.
However, Spurs managed to hijack Chelsea’s move for Simons in the final days of the transfer window, with Tottenham fans over the moon with the 22-year-old’s arrival.
Simons admitted that his conversation with Frank was a key factor in his Tottenham move, with the attacking midfielder revealing that the Spurs head coach spoke about the weaknesses in his game and how he can improve.
Tottenham could see the hunger in Xavi Simons’ eyes
The new Spurs star has said some very encouraging things during the international break, with the former RB Leipzig man evidently raring to get going at Tottenham.
Xavi Simons revealed that he got a very good feeling from Spurs when they approached him, insisting that the club will give him the platform to evolve into one of the best players in Europe.
Lange has now confessed that Simons’ hunger and desire to improve were immediately apparent to the club as soon as they reached out to him.
When asked about the Netherlands international’s arrival, the Tottenham technical director told the club’s official channel: “The important thing is when you sit with him and you talk about the project, and you see his eyes and desire to be the best version of himself.
When we speak about reference from teammates and coaches from clubs, they’re just echoing that he’s a very serious athlete, who wants to train well and try to maximise his potential – that’s the most important thing. It’s been a pleasure getting to know him, and we’re looking forward to seeing his determination on a day-to-day basis.”
Lange reveals Randal Kolo Muani was far from a panic buy
The Randal Kolo Muani deal seemingly came out of nowhere for Spurs on deadline day, with the Frenchman barely being linked leading up to the final 24 hours of the transfer window.
According to reports, Juventus were shocked that PSG allowed Kolo Muani to join Spurs on a straight loan deal after the Bianconeri had held extensive talks with the Ligue 1 giants through the summer.
Lane has now revealed that the 26-year-old was a player who had been on Tottenham’s radar for a long time and that the club pounced as soon as they saw a chance to sign him.
The Dane said about the striker’s signing: “I think with Randal, first of all, I’m extremely pleased that we managed to get it over the line. Credit to everybody at the club for acting quickly when a player of that level becomes available.
“Randal is versatile, so he can play across the front line. He gives Thomas and his staff so many options across the front line, where most of our players can play more than one position. Again with Randal, coming in here, he’s a player we’ve followed a long, long time, very successful in the French national team a few years ago.
“He’s made his move to Paris, then in the last six months, he also played with success at Juve. He’s played at the World Cup, played Champions League and played for big clubs, so we are very, very pleased and excited that he’s here. He will be another great addition to the squad for the season.”