Tim Sherwood questions Tottenham signing Xavi Simons, could repeat his Pedro Porro mistake

Tim Sherwood has raised doubts over whether Tottenham’s new signing Xavi Simons is capable of taking the club to the next level.

It has most certainly been an eventful past few days for Tottenham Hotspur, who have finally confirmed the signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.

The Netherlands international now follows in the footsteps of Micky van de Ven and Rafael van der Vaart as some of the high-profile names from his country to wear the white of Spurs, with expectations already building that he can replicate the impact made by those who came before him.

Simons will be hoping to make an impression as quickly as possible, but his debut for Tottenham may have to wait until after the international break, with the trip to the London Stadium to face West Ham looking the most likely stage for his first Premier League appearance.

Tim Sherwood questions Tottenham signing Xavi Simons

Tim Sherwood, speaking on Sky Sports, has admitted he is not fully convinced that Spurs’ new number seven is the right man to push the club forward.

The former Tottenham manager compared Simons to some of the alternative transfer targets Spurs were chasing, such as Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, arguing that the Dutchman may not be the reference point player that the team requires.

When pressed about Simons’ profile and ball-carrying ability, Sherwood said: “They have got a lot of players who do that, Tel, why did they bring him in? For me, he is blocking pathways; they are all as good as each other.

“What I am saying is that I wanted them to sign a player who would go straight into the first team, be a mainstay, be a reference for the side. I am not sure Xavi Simons is that man.”

He then expanded on his thoughts, saying: “For me, he excites me at times, he is like a bottle of pop, sometimes he fizzes and grows and you think wow, but then for a couple of games you do not see him.

“Sometimes he can be that. I hope I am wrong. I hope he can get some consistency. But as Alan said, he is absolutely right, this is the toughest and most competitive league in the world. It is not easy. He will be playing on the front foot. It is a fantastic club, wonderful stadium, and I wish him well.”

Tim Sherwood famously wrote off Pedro Porro early in his Tottenham career before the Spaniard settled to become one of the finest right-backs in the league.

Why Spurs can trust in Simons

Despite the scepticism, Xavi Simons arrives at Tottenham with a wealth of top-level experience, having already played for Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig and the Dutch national team, which makes him far more seasoned than many players his age.

At just 22 years old, he has already featured on the biggest stages, including the Champions League, which is an experience neither Gibbs-White nor Eze possess, and that alone gives Spurs a different dimension in midfield and attack.

Simon’s underlying numbers are impressive too, with 46 goal involvements in 78 matches for RB Leipzig, scoring 22 goals and registering 24 assists, which underlines exactly why Spurs felt he was worth the investment.

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