Xavi Simons’ presence is slowly starting to impact Tottenham Hotspur, as it was evident during the club’s recent win over Brentford.
Dutch sensation Xavi Simons did not find himself at Hotspur Way to sit on the bench at N17 and watch others define his story. The La Masia academy graduate made an highly anticipated move to Tottenham Hotspur from RB Leipzig. He arrived as the Lilywhites’ marquee signing.
The fans were all expecting him to be the creative livewire given his potential and be light to the new era in north London.
But instead the 22-year-old has been restricted to only seven Premier League starts since his move to Tottenham. He was also on bench for the fourth game in a row in the North Londoners 2-2 draw at Newcastle where Cristian Romero churned up a 12-year-old goalscoring record at Tottenham for second time this season.
While Morgan Gibbs-White is lighting up dreams at Anfield and Eberechi Eze is tearing up derbies in red, Thomas Frank is leaving one of the most gifted playmakers in the continent on the sideline.
The talent that he possess is not a doubt. We have seen him tear up leagues time and again for years. He surely has more capacity than Gibbs-White and more flair than Eze could possibly have. But now the question is whether the under-fire Dane head coach at the helm at N17 can build a structure and roster where his talent can finally breathe.
Why Xavi Simons is an unfair comparison
If we walk back to the Lilywhites’ plans in the summer, they tell a story of their own. Nottingham Forest midfielder Gibbs-White was the first choice at N17. He was a target that Daniel Levy was pushing hard to sign with the North Londoners, even agreeing to personal terms with him, but only for Forest to block the move and tie him down to a new deal in what became a highly controversial transfer last summer.
In Gibbs-White, Tottenham saw more of a safe option. Someone who is already accustomed to the Premier League. You’d be confident that you’re going to get an eight-on-ten performance from him almost every week.
But then Tottenham were forced to pivot to Eberechi Eze. Now Eze gave you something similar, an English top-tier proven quality who would come in and make an immediate impact. With him, you got an assurance that he can carry the attacking responsibilities on his shoulder, given how he had done the same at Crystal Palace for years before his eventual Arsenal transfer.
But then Arsenal stepped in and secured his signature.
And now Tottenham were forced to pivot to Simons. Now let me get this straight: the Dutchman was never the fallback option if we are speaking in terms of pure raw quality. But he is a very different kind of bet.
Simons is younger but more explosive and more volatile. Though he does have a high ceiling and has that capacity, he is more of a creator. But the thing is that everyone knows that Gibbs-White and Eze would deliver goods right away.
With Simons, the thing is he has a better ceiling if his development is handled correctly.
But if we look at the early months, it has only underlined what Tottenham fans knew. Gibbs-White has been phenomenal for Forest, while Eze was just recently named Arsenal’s player of the month for November. While for Simons, he has barely been given the platform to show why Tottenham chose him.
Xavi Simons showed us a glimpse of his abilities last weekend
The man who inherited Son’s infamous number 7 jersey showed us a glimpse of what the South Korean used to do time and again donning that Lilywhites jersey. He enjoyed a splendid performance at the weekend against Brentford. He notched up a goal and an assist to top off what was his best performance for Tottenham since signing for the club.
He enjoyed an 8.8 rating as the 22-year-old boasted 4 shots, of which 2 were on target, complemented by 9 defensive contributions. The 22-year-old also won 4 of his 7 ground duels, which shows how he is adapting to the physical side of the league. (via. Fotmob)
It was a performance that many Tottenham supporters would hope opens the doors to him feeling like himself again, playing with that confidence which made him stand out in multiple top-tier leagues across Europe.
Simons has the talent to be Tottenham’s next poster boy
While the scepticism surrounding him is at odds with the way Gibbs-White and Eze have been performing for their respective employers, that is how the club pitched his transfer. After missing out on Gibbs-White and Eze, Tottenham sold Simons as the next star of the project at Hotspur Way. He was supposed to be a player who could grow into the attacking face of the team in the post-Harry Kane era.
And he still can. Speaking in pure ability terms, that idea still holds true. Given that Simons has a very high ceiling, it is just about him finding that stride.
The Dutchman is quite capable when receiving under pressure, while his carrying abilities through the space are also elite. Then he has that vision to slip through a pass into runners. He also has that charisma and swagger which the fans at Hotspur Way generally respond to.
Simons is someone who has the capacity to turn a flat night under the lights into something electric. He can power through spaces with one burst through midfield (like we saw against Brentford).
But at the moment we have only seen flashes of that at Tottenham. There is this gap between the promise that he has and the performances that he has been putting on the pitch. But he does have all the potential in him to become a cornerstone that he was always meant to be…
