After being gazumped by Arsenal this transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur have finally signed a new attacking midfielder.
Tottenham have agreed to pay RB Leipzig £51.8m for Xavi Simons, the talented 22-year-old Dutchman who had been linked with Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
It is a coup for the club, and the news has prompted widespread elation within the fanbase.
At last, Thomas Frank has a new creator to mould his attack around.
The mood music was far less upbeat last week when Spurs’ attempts to sign Eberechi Eze were thwarted by Arsenal.
Simons will become the centrepoint of Tottenham’s attack (Photo: Getty)
The 27-year-old was released by the Gunners at 13 but has grafted his way back to his boyhood club after starting afresh with Queens Park Rangers and blossoming at Crystal Palace.
As one of the most impactful players in the Premier League, Eze has been tipped as a potential difference-maker in Arsenal’s pursuit of major trophies.
For Spurs, Simons’ arrival softens the frustration at missing out on Eze.
Given his profile and potential ceiling, he is arguably the club’s most exciting recruit since Gareth Bale returned on loan five years ago.
Both sides of north London are happy with their newest recruits, but which one will prove to be the better signing?
Transfer fee
Arsenal agreed a £67.5m fee with Crystal Palace for Eze (Photo: Getty)
Eze’s decision to join Arsenal saved Tottenham a small fortune.
The Gunners paid Crystal Palace £60m up front, with an extra £7.5m in achievable add-ons.
Eze signed a four-year contract with an option to extend by 12 months.
Spurs had struck a similar deal for Eze, with Palace determined to get as close to a £68m fee as possible, after his release clause worth that amount expired earlier this month.
The initial outlay for Simons is less, although Tottenham could end up paying more in wages given he has signed a five-year deal with the option of a further two.
According to Transfermarkt, Simons’ market value is higher than Eze’s (£60.6m compared to £47.6m), which suggests Spurs have better value for money.
Winner: Simons
Experience
Simons is a more typical Tottenham signing in terms of age profile after only turning 22 in April.
Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Spurs have signed 24 players permanently or on loan, 18 of whom were aged 24 or under at the time of their arrival.
Despite his youthfulness, Simons has accrued plenty of experience, playing 137 club games in three different countries (France, the Netherlands and Germany) after spending nine years in Barcelona’s academy.
He has also been capped 28 times at international level.
However, Eze is Premier League proven and should theoretically adapt quickly to his new surroundings after moving across the capital.
While Tottenham are rebuilding under another new manager, Arsenal are at a more advanced stage of their evolution under Mikel Arteta, now in his seventh season in charge.
They have sought more experienced additions this summer, with five of their seven recruits aged 26 or over, in the hope that it can give them an edge in the title race.
Winner: Eze
Statistics
Eze played for a mid-table side at Palace, with 10th their highest final position across his five seasons.
In contrast, Simons has either played for title favourites (Paris Saint-Germain and PSV Eindhoven) or European contenders (Leipzig).
Within that context, Eze’s output at Selhurst Park was impressive, with his 147 league outings yielding 57 direct goal involvements (34 goals and 23 assists). Eze averaged a league goal or assist every 174 minutes for Palace.
Simons’ record at PSV was outstanding: 19 goals and eight assists in 34 Eredivisie games in 2022-23.
However, in terms of quality, the Bundesliga is more comparable to the Premier League than the Eredivisie, and provides a more accurate reflection of Simons’ production.
His numbers in Germany will greatly encourage Spurs fans. In 57 league games for Leipzig, he directly contributed towards 36 goals (18 goals and 18 assists). He scored or made a goal every 134 minutes.
Additionally, he has two goals and two assists in 13 Champions League matches.
In cold, hard data, Simons is more efficient than Eze.
Winner: Simons
Injury record
Of the two, Eze is the only one to have suffered a serious long-term injury after rupturing his Achilles tendon on the eve of being called up for England’s squad for the Euros in 2021.
Eze officially returned after six months but suffered a series of setbacks that hampered his second Premier League season.
In recent years, he has been extremely durable, though, featuring in 99 of a possible 114 league games in his final three Palace seasons, including playing every game in 2022-23.
Simons, meanwhile, had the first injury-related setback of his career last term, suffering ankle ligament damage that required surgery, missing 15 games for club and country.
Before that, he had started 73 of a possible 75 league fixtures for PSV and Leipzig.
While Simons has steered clear of a major injury, he is five years younger than Eze, which is a big factor when comparing their fitness records.
Winner: Simons
Importance
Tottenham were desperate to acquire a No 10 this window to compensate for the long-term absences of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski due to knee injuries and Simons will fill that void.
Arsenal have also addressed their major weakness this summer, but that was up front, with Viktor Gyokeres brought in for his goals and presence.
There is no doubt that Eze is an excellent signing for the Gunners, given he can play on the left or centrally at a time when both Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard are struggling for form and/or fitness.
However, while buying a new attacking midfielder was a bonus for Arsenal, it was an absolute necessity for Spurs. Simons will be the centrepoint of Tottenham’s attack. With Odegaard established as Arsenal’s club captain, the same cannot be said of Eze.
Winner: Simons
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Winner: Simons
Spurs fans were downbeat after the Morgan Gibbs-White saga and furious after Eze slipped through the club’s fingers.
Now many are proclaiming Simons to be a better signing than both targets, but as Liverpool’s record signing Florian Wirtz said recently, the Premier League is a step above.
“It’s more physically intense and perhaps involves a bit more running. The opponents are on your heels more the whole time,” Wirtz told Kicker.
Like Wirtz, Simons may need an adjustment period. If he can adapt, there is no doubt that Spurs have acquired a supremely gifted attacking midfielder, a goalscorer, creator and dribbler rolled into one promising package.
Fulfil the potential that made him a child prodigy at Barca, and he could prove to be a better investment long-term.