Xavi Simons is no stranger to the limelight.

At La Masia, Barcelona’s academy, Simons became a star before he was even a teenager. With his bouncy blonde afro and prodigious technical ability, the Spanish giants had designs on making the Dutch youngster, named after La Masia star alumnus Xavi Hernandez, one of the eye-catching new faces of their famous talent factory.

Nike shared their plan. In 2018, at age 16, he starred alongside Ronaldinho, Neymar and Kevin de Bruyne in an advert for the sportswear empire’s Phantom boot range. By the time he left to join Paris Saint-Germain in July 2019, he had 1.6 million Instagram followers. All before he had made his senior professional debut.

Now, after establishing himself as one of Europe’s most exciting creative players over periods at PSV in his homeland and with Germany’s RB Leipzig, he has a resumé to match the brand.

Simons playing in Barcelona’s academy in 2011 (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

So, with Tottenham Hotspur on the lookout for a creative midfielder and someone to become a marketing face following the departure of Son Heung-min to MLS this summer, signing the 22-year-old for around €60million (about £52m; $70m) feels almost serendipitous.

After missing out on Eberechi Eze (who joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace) and Morgan Gibbs-White (who stayed at Nottingham Forest), the idea that Spurs would have to delve deeper into their scouting system for an alternative with less experience and pedigree was concerning.

Taking a gamble on unpolished diamonds has served the club well historically, but their hit-rate is patchy. For every Gareth Bale, there is a line of Bryan Gils. After fortune rewards your bravery with Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele arrives for a record £55million fee to ensure you put every contingency in place to avoid making that mistake again. With James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski sidelined long-term by injury, Tottenham couldn’t afford to go for another project player.

New head coach Thomas Frank has raised expectations for the domestic and European competitions with his strong start in north London and signing Simons, a highly-rated Netherlands international with three seasons of Champions League experience, is another statement of intent.

Pedigree united Spurs’ targets this summer but they all have different profiles. Where Gibbs-White’s versatility and Eze’s history of producing in the biggest matches stand out, Simons’ intricacy is among the attributes that set him apart. He tends to operate between the lines in the final third, receiving the ball in tight areas, and has the ability to release team-mates quickly in and around the box.

Last season, Simons played over 15 per cent of Leipzig’s dangerous passes, despite featuring in just 25 of the 34 domestic league matches due to an ankle injury. He ranked seventh in the Bundesliga for passes completed into the box at 2.9 per 90 minutes, particularly impressive considering most of those above him on the list played under Vincent Kompany at possession-dominant Bayern Munich.

His aptitude in tight areas may be a consequence of his late physical development — Simons was significantly behind his Barcelona team-mates in that aspect aged 13 to 16 — which increased his focus on using his body effectively and manipulating the ball under pressure.

Now listed at 179cm (around 5ft 10in) with a muscular frame, Simons bounces off challenges. With players who can progress the ball behind him at Tottenham, notably Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur, he can excel floating into pockets as a No 10, waiting to receive a pass before quickly moving possession on to his fellow forwards.

His threat as a final-third creator is evident in his return of 20 assists across the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons at Leipzig. That’s only six fewer than Florian Wirtz, who played six more Bundesliga matches for Bayer Leverkusen over the same period and moved to Liverpool for around £100million (excluding add-ons) this summer.

If Simons’ creative ability is enough to be excited about, he is as good, if not better, as a goalscorer.

Within Leipzig’s 4-2-2-2 structure, he primarily operated as a left-sided No 10, which allowed him to drift into central positions from the wing with the ball at his feet. When he is not receiving balls in pockets and slipping team-mates through or driving at defences, Simons is a fearless dribbler who can create for others or finish powerfully and accurately.

Of the 79 goal contributions he has recorded over the past three seasons for club and country, the first of which was at PSV in the Eredivisie, he put the finishing touch on 48. That’s 79 in three seasons — the large majority of which came before his 22nd birthday this April.

England fans will remember his shot that sailed past Jordan Pickford to open the scoring during last year’s European Championship semi-final; one of a catalogue of impressive long-range strikes and improvised efforts.

And for U.S. readers:

He can fit into the flow of an attack off the ball, with a strong instinct to arrive in the box at the right time to finish.

When he inevitably opens his goals account as a Spurs player, it will almost definitely be scored with his right boot. Simons is very one-footed and tends to avoid using his left unless he absolutely has to. But, and this is reflected in his goalscoring prowess, he possesses elite ball-striking ability with his right foot — at Leipzig, he would cut in from the left wing, dribbling into central spaces and so opening up angles to pass or shoot.

As he is expected to play as a No 10, presenting him with the licence to link play on either wing, his tendency to rely on his stronger foot could be prohibitive in connecting with Mohammed Kudus or Wilson Odobert on the right. However, like Maddison, who naturally drifted towards the left side for this reason, his one-footedness is compensated for with an ability to execute difficult passes with the outside of that right boot.

But, given Pape Matar Sarr’s performances as a pressing No 10 and Lucas Bergvall’s impressive display in the first league match of this season against Burnley, perhaps the biggest question is how Simons will fit into Frank’s defensive structure.

Against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup and then Manchester City more recently in the Premier League, Sarr’s role leading the attacking press was as effective as any playmaker could be, so Frank will be reluctant to deviate from a successful formula against those sides who are willing to take risks in possession inside their half.

Operating inside a pressing structure won’t be new to Simons, though. Leipzig are the flagship side within Red Bull’s multi-club model, where pressing is among the key principles. He may not be Sarr, but the Dutchman’s grounding in this area bodes well for his prospects under Frank.

While the Dane will welcome Simons’ industry without the ball, Spurs have signed him for his quality with it. Where questions remain about Tottenham’s ability to break down low blocks consistently, he should provide answers.

Frank’s Spurs have demonstrated their ability to go toe-to-toe with the best in the world and thrive. Now, in Simons, they have added depth and a sprinkling of magic to unlock every type of team.

(Top photo: Simons after scoring against England in the Euro 2024 semi-finals; Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)