Frank Leboeuf Criticizes Tottenham’s Signing of Xavi Simons
Frank Leboeuf has voiced his concerns over Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to sign a £52 million star, following a disappointing performance in their 1-0 loss to Chelsea. Despite remaining fourth in the Premier League table, Spurs faced a tough time on Saturday as they were booed off the pitch after losing to their London rivals. Joao Pedro scored the winning goal, marking another challenging day for the club.
Manager Thomas Frank has spent over £185 million in his first summer in charge, but several signings are struggling to adapt to life in north London, particularly the headline arrival, Xavi Simons. Tottenham had been desperate to secure a new No.10, but Simons was not their first choice. They turned to the RB Leipzig star only after failing to sign Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.
Despite being seen as a significant coup to bring in the highly-rated Dutchman who had been pursued all summer by Chelsea, Simons has struggled so far. After 12 games, he has no goals and just one assist to his name.
A Disappointing Performance
Simons was dropped to the bench for the match against Chelsea but came on after just seven minutes due to an injury to Lucas Bergvall. However, his performance was anything but impressive. His risky and sloppy pass back to Micky van de Ven was intercepted by Moises Caicedo, who set up Pedro for the decisive goal.
Former Tottenham star Jamie O’Hara was critical of Simons on talkSPORT, comparing him to Manchester United’s £82 million flop Antony. He said: “It feels like we signed an Antony,” referring to the player’s poor performance. O’Hara added, “Xavi Simons, I’m sick to death of him. He gives the ball away, soft, short, and Caicedo nicks it off him. Honestly, he’s come on for Bergvall after five minutes, and it’s like we’re playing with ten men. I’m sick of it, £52 million we spent and he’s bang average, he gives the ball away for fun.”
A Humiliating Moment
The situation worsened for Simons when he was subbed on and then off in the same match. Manager Thomas Frank made the decision to take him off with 17 minutes remaining. Based on his start at Spurs, Chelsea might be relieved that their transfer for the attacking midfielder fell through. Leboeuf believes that Tottenham greatly overestimated the player they signed.
“Xavi Simons played one good year for Leipzig – that wasn’t the case for Paris Saint-Germain before – and an average season last season and was sold for £52 million to Tottenham Hotspur,” the former Chelsea defender told ESPN. “And you expect what? What do you expect from those players who have one good year of football? To be a game changer?”
Leboeuf’s Assessment
Leboeuf’s assessment of Simons as a one-season wonder seems harsh given that he did record 19 goal contributions in 33 games last season, compared to 25 in 43 in his first Leipzig campaign. However, he remains skeptical about the player’s potential to be a game-changer.
Frank defended Simons post-match, explaining that he was dropped and then subbed off due to fitness reasons. “There’s a reason why we didn’t start him, of course. I think he’s played two starts, short turnaround. Also, that energy and freshness I talked about, played 90 minutes Wednesday night. So that’s why we decided that, and then he played 70 minutes here. So I think that was nothing. It’s just because it looks different when you come on after three minutes and get subbed off.”
Looking Ahead
Simons should get a shot at redemption when Tottenham host Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday. The young midfielder will need to prove that his £52 million price tag is justified. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Comment now.
