Over the years, Tottenham Hotspur has been the home to numerous incredible attacking midfielders – many of whom have captured the hearts of the fanbase during their respective periods at the club.

James Maddison is just one of the current players who has starred in such a role, racking up 16 goals and 19 assists for the Lilywhites in 75 outings – with six of his efforts last campaign helping them towards Europa League glory.

Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen both shared the responsibility in such a role during the Mauricio Pochettino era, with the latter undoubtedly going down as one of the club’s best-ever additions.

The Dane cost just £11m back in 2013 and helped the club reach the Champions League final back in 2018/19 – registering 27 goal contributions in his 51 appearances that season.

However, current boss Thomas Frank now has his own version of a young superstar to rely on – with the talent potentially able to add himself to such a list in the years ahead.

Spurs’ move to land Xavi Simons this summer

After a summer of disappointment in trying to land a new number ten, the fanbase’s patience was rewarded late on in the window, after completing a £52m transfer to sign Xavi Simons.

Whilst it appears as though the Dutchman may have been third choice, a deal for his signature could prove to be a bargain if he can build on his recent success with RB Leipzig.

The 22-year-old has registered over 15 goal contributions in each of his two full seasons in Germany – handing Frank the ammunition he’s craved within forward areas.

A move for his signature was only made possible after missing out on Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White, potentially being a blessing in disguise, with Simons a player with huge potential to improve, given his tender age.

However, he may have found first-team minutes hard to come by – especially if the hierarchy has kept hold of a player who was previously on the books in North London.

The former Spurs star who was the original Simons

Since taking the reins during the off-season, boss Frank has struggled to rely upon a recognised number ten, with Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski both currently out with injuries.

Pape Sarr has often filled the void over the last couple of weeks, but has done so in featuring in an unfamiliar role, with the Senegalese star more suited to a deep-lying role.

However, a deal for Simons could allow the youngster to return to his natural position, which in turn could offer a more balanced midfielder for Frank’s 4-3-3 system.

The manager may have been able to navigate such injury woes in the early stages of the campaign had the club kept hold of Giovani Lo Celso a couple of years ago.

The Argentine originally joined the Lilywhites on loan for the first half of the 2019/20 campaign – before linking up on a permanent basis just a few months into his spell. It was a colossal deal, signed for £55m, the same price the Lilywhites shelled out to land Mohammed Kudus this summer.

He does possess a similar career path to Simons, subsequently being on the books of PSG before moving to another European outfit, which led to their respective transfers to join Spurs.

Lo Celso racked up 90 appearances over a three-year spell in North London – scoring a crucial goal against Manchester City a couple of years ago, which helped the side claim one of their famous results against Pep Guardiola’s men.

The Argentine featured 24 times in his final year at the Lilywhites – before being sold in an £8m deal to return to his former outfit Real Betis.

Such a move has allowed for the 29-year-old to recapture his best form, scoring ten times and registering four assists in the last two years – helping the LaLiga side reach the Conference League final in 2024/25.

Games played

34

Goals & assists

12

Pass accuracy

85%

Chances created

2.7

Shots taken

2.1

Successful dribbles

1.3

Tackles won

1.4

Duels won

59%

Successful crosses

1.5

Whilst he ultimately failed to reach the levels many expected him to in North London, he was still a superb option for the first-team, potentially being offloaded too prematurely.

Many supporters will be hoping Simons doesn’t suffer the same fate – needing to replicate such form from his time in the Bundesliga if he is to be a success during his time playing under Frank.