Chelsea are on the verge of signing Alejandro Garnacho, which has to be viewed as a major boost for the club, even though the fans' opinion has been divided by the move. Here is a fun fact for you. Since his debut for Manchester United on April 28 in 2022, no player aged 21 or under has scored more goals than the Argentine in all competitions. Right behind him is Lamine Yamal. Desire Doue is third. That's decent company if you ask us.
While Chelsea have gotten a deal for Garnacho over the line, they have failed to get their other target though. Xavi Simons is set to join Tottenham Hotspur as the Blues' London rivals have made an unexpected late swoop, after Enzo Maresca's side had seemed in control of the race for the entire summer.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Simons to Tottenham Hotspur is a 'here we go'. It has been all signed between Spurs and RB Leipzig for a fee worth €60 million. The Dutchman has completed his medical and his contract is also signed.
So, that's the Simons saga over. Chelsea have missed out on signing the Dutchman. Or, they decided to pull out of the race late on, one of the two.
'Here we go' - Fabrizio Romano confirms bad news for Chelsea
It is certainly interesting that the rumours linking Chelsea with Simons have gradually faded over the course of the summer. Over the past few days, it was all about Garnacho.
Now, there could be multiple reasons behind this. Perhaps Chelsea realised that they could only sign one of the two and decided to opt for Garnacho, following Jamie Gittens' shaky start, as Joao Pedro is capable of filling in the number 10 role.
Secondly, it might be very possible that they are still looking to sign a similar profile but a different player. One cannot ignore the Fermin Lopez rumours that have steadily grown over the past few days. Maybe Chelsea believe that he is a better fit than Simons for Maresca's team.
Or thirdly, Chelsea simply missed out. They allowed things to drag on for far too long, thinking the deal was in the bag, and it allowed Tottenham Hotspur the chance to swoop in and get a deal done in time. Any of this is possible, but as things stand, the only thing that is for certain is that simons won't be playing in a royal blue jersey.