Tottenham Hotspur just concluded what was quite a busy summer transfer window, which saw the North Londoners secure the arrival of a lot of cringe-raising signings, but among them was the signing of Xavi Simons, which stood out above all else.
The La Masia academy graduate moved to Hotspur Way in a £51.8 million transfer which saw the Dutch international become one of the most expensive signings in the club’s history, and he already looks like someone who has the capacity to reshape how Thomas Frank lines his Lilywhites side up.
Simons was given a rapturous welcome from the Lilywhites faithful at the weekend when he was introduced at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before the North Londoners’ defeat to Bournemouth, and despite his budding age of twenty-three (23), there is already a feeling of him being a headline act in North London.
Simons comes with a head beyond his years
Given his age and the investment that Tottenham have made in his signing, many would think that bringing him to Hotspur Way is a gamble, but Simons is no gamble. He is a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy and has already played over 130 senior games across stints with the likes of PSV, PSG and RB Leipzig. He boasts over 10 Champions League outings and has also played 28 times for the Netherlands.
Now if you’d look at it, it would be an impressive resume for someone who is 27 years old, let alone someone who is still at the beginning of his career. And this is exactly what John Wenham, owner of the Spurs’ famed podcast Lilywhites Rose, argues in his exclusive for Tottenham News, where he hailed the North Londoners’ signing of Simons.
He said:
“Simons is just an amazing signing because he has the right blend of being that perfect age of just 22, but with so much experience behind him already.
“I think he’s got 137 senior appearances for the likes of PSV, Leipzig, PSG, obviously came through it at Barcelona, the La Masia academy. He’s made 15 Champions League appearances and has 28 caps for Holland.
‘You’re getting a player who’s experienced with still youth on side. His best years are still to come. The reports are that Spurs signed a contract that could run until 2032, which is just crazy. So Tottenham are really securing his best years.”
The fact that Tottenham have handed him a seven-year contract shows how the chiefs in the cubicles at Hotspur Way are showing huge faith in him, and this also ensures that Tottenham supporters see him playing his prime years in North London.
Simons is a ready-made Maddison replacement
Given that Tottenham recently endured a big setback with James Maddison’s ACL surgery, which has left Thomas Frank with a huge creative void in his roster, given how the England international has been central to the creative attacking identity at N17 since he moved to Hotspur Way from Leicester City. But given that his injury record has always been a lingering concern among the supporters, Tottenham have brought in someone who would not be just a short-term cover but a long-term successor to the Lilywhites’ creative problems, and the numbers speak for themselves.
If we look into his numbers from last season with Leipzig, the Dutchman has put through 17 goal contributions from only 25 Bundesliga starts. And when you start comparing per ninety numbers, his stats line up quite favourably with that of Maddison.
Player Stats Comparison (2024/25)
Stats via FBref
| Stats (per 90) | Simons | Maddison |
|---|---|---|
| Goals + Assists | 0.67 | 0.80 |
| Progressive Carries | 3.56 | 2.24 |
| Progressive Passes | 5.86 | 8.16 |
| Shot Creating Actions | 4.52 | 4.73 |
| Successful Take-Ons | 1.38 | 1.64 |
If you look at the numbers above, what stands out straight away is how Simons brings that directness, given his carrying numbers. And it is not just carrying; he does so with intent as he tries to get the better of opponents’ shapes and gives you that unpredictability from deeper positions. And we know how Maddison has always been that refined passer, but in Simons you get that dynamism which can help Thomas Frank quite aptly in his playing style.
Author Opinion
If we think about this and compare how he fits into Thomas Frank’s philosophies, Simons gives Tottenham that flexibility given that he can play as a #10 whilst also having the drift wide into half-spaces. You can also slot the 23-year-old as an advanced No. 8 in a midfield three. Now this versatility is exactly why Tottenham will no longer be overly dependent on Maddison.
Going into this summer, many Lilywhites faithful were sceptical, but the arrival of Thomas Frank was aided by a sense of ambition among the cubicles at Hotspur Way, and bringing in Xavi Simons shows exactly that. He is neither a stop-gap signing at N17 nor a speculative punt, but in Simons, Tottenham now have one of Europe’s brightest attacking midfielders tied down until 2032 and ready to shape the next era at Hotspur Way.
If he were to hit the ground running at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, then the North Londoners may just have solved their Maddison problem before it ever became a crisis.