Tottenham sent a warning over new signing Xavi Simons’s attitude on and off the pitch
Tottenham Hotspur were desperate to bring in a No.10 during the recently concluded summer transfer window.
Even before James Maddison sustained a serious knee injury in August, Spurs were scouring the market for a creative midfielder. The Lilywhites were looking aggressively to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, but given the fact that Arsenal hijacked the deal for the Crystal Palace star, they had to turn their attention elsewhere to address one of their key issues in the squad.
Xavi Simons of RB Leipzig was quickly identified as that player. Spurs did a good job to beat Chelsea to the Dutchman’s signature in a £51.8 million deal. The 22-year-old had agreed personal terms with Chelsea but the club’s failure to move on players surplus to Enzo Maresca’s requirements put a deal on hold, giving Tottenham the chance to swoop in.
Tottenham sent warning over Xavi Simons’ attitude
Spurs would have been delighted to get their man. While Thomas Frank will be raring to work with Simons after the international break, the Danish tactician and Tottenham have a couple of things to consider.
There has been a lot of talk over the Netherlands international’s attitude on and off the pitch. Speaking on that matter, European football expert Kevin Hatchard has expressed concerns over Simons’ body language and attitude following his big-money move to the north London club.
“My only concern over him is, sometimes the body language is not great. Sometimes the attitude isn’t all that it could be,” Kevin Hatchard said on talkSPORT show Inside Spurs.
“Now, I don’t know him personally, all I do know is that throughout his time in Germany, there has been talk of is his attitude the best, can he be disruptive? That might be unfair, than might be just idle gossip, it might not be something that deserves to be attached to him.
“But there is no doubt that debate’s been in there in the German media. Even when he left, there was a big editorial in one of the major publications in Germany, about how this may be a good thing for Leipzig in the long run. In terms of the harmony of the team and making it a bit more democratic rather than one superstar.”
Spurs have done very well to land Simons
German outlet Sport Bild has released a dossier of past events, carelessness and childish behaviour of Simons during his two years with RB Leipzig that Tottenham and Thomas Frank need to be aware of. The player is extremely competitive as he became ‘increasingly dissatisfied’ with the Bundesliga team’s performances over the course of last season, but due to his antics and poor demeanour at times, he earned the ‘Princess’ nickname at Leipzig.
Nonetheless, Simons is an ideal signing to solve Tottenham’s problems in breaking down the opposition’s defence. He is technically sound, creative, tenacious and capable of scoring different kinds of goals. What stands out is the Dutchman’s ability to play multiple positions in attack.
This is a huge plus for Frank’s side, who remain without Maddison and Kulusevski, whilst club icon Son Heung-min has joined Los Angeles FC. If Frank can help him with his consistency, discipline and approach, Simons would become a massive player for our club for many years.