For many years, Tottenham Hotspur has been home to many incredibly offensive midfielders.
James Madison is just one of the current players to star in such a role, earning Lily White 16 goals and 19 assists on 75 outings.
Both Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen shared the responsibilities of such roles during the Mauricio Pochettino era.
Dane spent just £11 million in 2013, helping the club reach the Champions League final in 2018/19.
However, current boss Thomas Frank has his own version of the young superstar who he can count on.
Spurs ‘Move to land Xavi Simons this summer
After summer disappointment in trying to land a new number 10, the fanbase’s patience was rewarded late in the window.
The Dutch appears to be his third choice, but his signing deal could prove to be a bargain if he can build up his recent success in RB Leipzig.
The 22-year-old has registered over 15 target contributions in each of his two full seasons in Germany.
His signature move was only possible after missing Ebeki Eze and Morgan Gibbs White.
But he may have found it difficult to get a few minutes for the first team – especially if the hierarchy held players who had previously appeared in books in North London.
The former Spurs star, who was the original Simons
Since taking the reins during the offseason, boss Frank has struggled to rely on No. 10, with both Madison and Dejan Crucevsky being injured.
Pape Sarr has often filled the void in recent weeks, but by introducing unfamiliar roles, the Senegal star is more suited to the deeper role.
However, a contract with Simons allows the youngster to return to his natural position, allowing it to offer a more balanced midfielder for Frank’s 4-3-3 system.
If the club had held Giovani Roso a few years ago, the manager might have been able to navigate such an injury issue early in the campaign.
Argentina originally loaned it to Lily White in the first half of the 2019/20 campaign – permanently linked a few months after his spell. This was a huge deal signed for £55 million, at the same price as Lily White was fired to land Mohammed Kudus this summer.
He had a similar career path to Simons, and after that he was featured in the PSG book, he was able to move on to another European outfit, which led to the relocation of each to join the Spurs.
Lo Celso has earned 90 appearances in three years of spells in North London. A significant goal against Manchester City several years ago helped him to assert one of the famous outcomes against Pep Guardiola’s subordinates.
Argentina was featured 24 times in its final year at Lily White. It was then sold for a £8 million deal to return to the previous outfit Real Betis.
This move has allowed the 29-year-old to recapture his best form, scoring 10 points and registering four assists in the last two years. It helped Lariga to reach the 2024/25 Conference League final.
Lo Celso and Betis (2024/25) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (per 90) | totalling |
The game has been played | 34 |
Goals and Assistance | 12 |
Accuracy | 85% |
Possibility of being created | 2.7 |
Shot taken | 2.1 |
The dribbling was successful | 1.3 |
The tackle won | 1.4 |
The duel won | 59% |
A successful cross | 1.5 |
Statistics via FOTMOB | |
He ultimately failed to reach the level many people expected in North London, but he is still a great option for the first team and could potentially be offloaded as too late.
Many supporters would hope that Simons will suffer the same fate. To succeed while playing under Frank, he must recreate such forms from his time in the Bundesliga.