Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of completing one of the standout signings of the summer, with Xavi Simons set to arrive from RB Leipzig in a €60million (£52m) deal. The 22-year-old Netherlands international is expected to sign a five-year contract with an option for two more seasons, having been convinced by manager Thomas Frank’s project at Spurs.
Simons’ creativity will be vital with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski sidelined long-term, and his arrival adds to an already busy summer window. Spurs have already signed Mohammed Kudus (£55m from West Ham), brought in Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich, secured Kota Takai (£5m from Kawasaki Frontale), and made Mathys Tel’s move from Bayern permanent. The club still intends to pursue another winger and a centre-back before the deadline.
This influx of talent is exciting supporters, but it also brings complications. With strict registration rules in both the Premier League and the Champions League, Frank and the recruitment team must make tough choices over who stays, who goes, and who might miss out.
🏴 Premier League squad situation
17 non-homegrown players are allowed. With Simons included, Spurs hit the limit of 17.
Currently registered non-homegrown players (17/17):
Vicario, Kinsky, Porro, Dragusin, Udogie, Romero, Van de Ven, Bentancur, Bissouma, Palhinha, Kulusevski, Richarlison, Sarr, Solomon, Gil, Kudus, Simons.
Homegrown players (7, with 8 the minimum):
Solanke, Danso, Austin, Ben Davies, Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Djed Spence.
👉 In order to fully comply, Spurs need at least one more senior player who is a native. That could mean relying on Kevin Danso’s homegrown status (youth years at Reading/MK Dons) and/or pushing for another English signing before the deadline.
Notable U21s who don’t need registering:
Takai, Archie Gray, Bergvall, Odobert, Tel, Scarlett.
This is why Spurs still have some wiggle room domestically, especially if departures happen. Players like Bryan Gil, Yves Bissouma, or Manor Solomon could be sold or loaned to create flexibility.
🌍 Champions League complications
Europe is far more restrictive. UEFA requires:
25-man A-list max, with at least 8 locally trained players (4 club-trained, 4 association-trained).
Spurs have only ONE club-trained player (Brandon Austin), so their A-list is automatically reduced to 22 slots.
Current breakdown:
Non-locally trained (22, limit is 17):
Vicario, Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Dragusin, Udogie, Romero, Van de Ven, Bentancur, Bissouma, Palhinha, Odobert, Kulusevski, Richarlison, Sarr, Bergvall, Tel, Solomon, Gil, Takai, Kudus, Simons.
Association-trained (6, but only 4 spots available):
Solanke, Ben Davies, Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Djed Spence, Archie Gray.
Club-trained (1, need 4):
Brandon Austin.
👉 That means Spurs currently have 28 senior players vying for just 21 available A-list slots. Three players will definitely have to miss out.
Complications also arise because injuries to Maddison, Dragusin, and Kulusevski may force Spurs to temporarily leave them unregistered for the league phase. Even then, big calls will have to be made, and some senior names could be excluded entirely.
⚖️ What this means going forward
Tottenham must sell or loan out players to avoid leaving expensive signings ineligible for Europe.
The lack of club-trained players will remain a major headache until Spurs’ recent wave of teenage signings (Gray, Bergvall, Odobert, Takai, Vuskovic, etc.) mature into homegrown status in a few years.
The domestic situation is manageable, but the Champions League squad is a puzzle Spurs simply cannot solve without painful sacrifices.
