Chelsea transfer news: Xavi Simons agent opens up on failed move as Enzo Maresca explains Alejandro Garnacho decision

The agent of Tottenham Hotspur new boy Xavi Simons has opened up on the Dutchman's failed move to Chelsea, revealing that there was indeed "serious interest" from the Club World Cup winners.

Former Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig starlet Simons was at the centre of a two-way transfer tussle between the Blues and the Lilywhites, and Enzo Maresca's side appeared to be at the head of the queue for a number of weeks.

Simons had shown a willingness to make the move to Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea were never able to agree a fee with RB Leipzig, allowing Tottenham to swoop in and sign the playmaker on a five-year contract.

Simons claimed an assist on his Premier League debut for Thomas Frank's side in their 3-0 win over West Ham United, and he helped his side come back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday as a substitute.

A couple of hours later, a 10-man Chelsea side were painfully edged out 2-1 by Manchester United at Old Trafford, where the Blues lacked ingenuity up front following the early withdrawals of Cole Palmer, Estevao and Pedro Neto.

Simons agent reveals "certain constraints" after failed Chelsea transfer

Estevao and Neto were withdrawn for Filip Jorgensen and Tosin Adarabioyo respectively after Robert Sanchez's sending-off, while Palmer was forcibly taken off with an injury as Andrey Santos entered the fray instead.

However, had it not been for "certain constraints" on Chelsea's end during the summer transfer window, Simons could have been an option for Maresca, as revealed by the playmaker's agent Ali Barat.

"Tottenham and Chelsea are both fantastic clubs with solid projects and there was real interest from both sides," Metro quotes Barat as saying. "But Chelsea was always clear with us.

"They had certain constraints that made it difficult to move forward with discussions. So when the talks with Tottenham started, it became clear that this would be a project that would be a perfect fit for Xavi."

Rather than completing a deal for Simons, Chelsea bolstered their creative ranks with the captures of Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens and Facundo Buonanotte over the summer, but none of them played a single minute in Saturday's loss to Man United.

Why did Garnacho not play for Chelsea against Man United?

Many wondered whether Garnacho would face his old club over the weekend, but the Argentine was an unused substitute at Old Trafford, where Santos and Tyrique George were both brought off the bench instead.

George replaced Fofana just past the hour mark, and Maresca revealed that the Frenchman requesting to come off formed the basis of his decision not to bring on Garnacho.

"Garna, he was ready to go on, but then Wes [Fofana] asked for the change, because he was tired after a long time, so we changed and we decided to go for Tyrique, and the idea was to give Garnacho minutes," football.london quotes Maresca as saying.

Pressed on whether the frosty reception from the Old Trafford crowd towards Garnacho also played a part in his decision, the Chelsea coach responded: "No, also because he was ready, and he was ready to go on, and then Wes asked for a change."

Maresca also provided the latest on Palmer's injury worry ahead of Tuesday's EFL Cup third-round match with Lincoln City, where Sanchez will serve his suspension following his fifth-minute red card on Saturday.