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€65m record signing
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Xavi Simons’ troubling start to life at Tottenham Hotspur reached a new low on Saturday when he suffered the ultimate embarrassment for a footballer. The 22-year-old was introduced early on after Lucas Bergvall sustained a concussion issue, but Thomas Frank hauled him off again on 73 minutes after a miserable performance. Tottenham were awful against Chelsea, recording their lowest xG in history (0.10) but Simons was culpable for their insipid attacking display.
In his 66 minutes, Simons managed to lose possession on 15 occasions - more than any other player - and he has struggled badly to adapt to the demands of the Premier League following his €65m arrival from RB Leipzig. Simons is Tottenham’s record signing and is on a substantial wage in North London but Spurs fans are developing growing concerns over the attacking midfielder.
Xavi Simons: Poor start to Tottenham career
It’s imperative to stress that it’s still early in Simons’ Tottenham career and players generally require time to acclimatise to a new league, but the Netherlands international’s performances are worrying. Simons is unquestionably a technically gifted footballer but he's failed to adjust to the intensity and physicality of the Premier League. This was exemplified by a lovely turn against Chelsea before getting caught in possession and Sky Sports commentator Jamie Carragher highlighted these issues. He said: “It was fantastic initially, but when you’re in the Premier League, the pace and physicality of players coming back at you. He thinks he’s got all the time in the world to run away, but you just don’t have it.”
As the graphic above illustrates, Simons has registered just a solitary goal involvement with Tottenham - an assist for Pape Matar Sarr on his debut in the 3-0 win over West Ham. But despite showing glimpses of his undoubted quality, Simons has laboured in a Spurs attack that often lacks cohesion and creativity. Fifteen attack-minded players moved for fees in excess of €60m this summer but only Newcastle’s Anthony Elanga has a worse attacking contribution record than Simons.
Xavi Simons: Bundesliga vs Premier League form
It was a fascinating summer with Premier League clubs investing heavily to sign attackers from Bundesliga clubs. Simons was one of five players to move for fees of €65m or higher and they’ve experienced mixed fortunes. Nick Woltemade and Hugo Ekitiké looked inspired signings, while Benjamin Sesko is acclimatising fairly well at Manchester United. It’s arguably Simons and Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz that have experienced the most difficulties and there are similarities in their physical composition and style of play. Simons was the fifth most valuable player in the Bundesliga last season and his attacking output of 0.69 g/a per90 in the German top-flight was impressive.
Stefan Bienkowski, UK Area Manager and host of the Gegenpressing podcast, explained the perception of Simons in Germany and his belief that he remains an ‘exceptional player. “At first, Simons was seen as an exceptional signing for RB Leipzig," said Bienkowski. "In his first season on loan at the club, he was one of the best playmakers in the Bundesliga, standing shoulder to shoulder with players like Wirtz and Jamal Musiala in terms of goals and assists. But things changed drastically in his second season at the club. Leipzig sold a number of star players and Simons was essentially left to compensate for their departures. He's an exceptional player who struggled in a poor team last season. And I suspect he may be dealing with similar issues at Tottenham this season, while they wait for more attacking stars to return from injury." While it’s undeniably been a poor start at Tottenham, Simons deserves time to showcase his quality but patience is wearing thin.
