Tottenham Hotspur given clear verdict on ‘magician’ Xavi Simons, but there is one potential problem

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Tottenham Hotspur missed out on Eberechi Eze last week, but have now completed the signing of Xavi Simons.

Tottenham Hotspur fans are hoping for a busy few days ahead of the summer transfer deadline.

Thomas Frank has been in the market for a number 10 and a winger, but has suffered frustration on both fronts in recent weeks.

Arsenal hijacked Tottenham’s move for Eberechi Eze, while Manchester City have stood firm on Savinho’s future.

Tottenham have now pivoted to Xavi Simons, and have managed to beat Chelsea to the Dutchman’s signature.

• READ MORE: How RB Leipzig fans have reacted over Xavi Simons to Tottenham says it all – ‘I could cry’

Expert view on Tottenham Hotspur target Xavi Simons from Germany

Simons completed a medical with Tottenham on Friday morning and has now been presented as a new Spurs player.

Tottenham have handed Simons the number seven shirt, allowing him to follow in the footsteps of club icon Son Heung-min.

Simons looks to be an ideal signing for Tottenham on face value, a player who can take the number 10 spot or even play on the left flank if needed.

The 22-year-old has huge potential for the future and has largely impressed during his time in Germany with RB Leipzig.

Sky Germany’s Dennis Bayer has now offered his expert view to Sky Sports and highlighted a potential problem with Simons.

Bayer noted that Simons is ‘like a magician’ on the ball when he is on song, and will become a Premier League star if he can do that consistently.

However, Bayer added that Simons often ‘disappears’ if he isn’t in the mood to play, and must fix his mentality if he is going to avoid being a Premier League failure.

Bayer is backing Simons to get his mind right, but clearly has concerns about the Dutchman’s mentality at this stage in his development.

“He’s a great player, but there’s one thing here he gets to control, he gets to fix, and that’s his mind, because when Xavi Simons has fun playing football, and he touches the ball, he’s like a magician,” said Bayer.

“But if he doesn’t want to play, if he’s not in the mood to play, then he just disappears. So, if he comes to the Premier League and has fun to play, then he is going to be a great player.

“He has to adapt to the physicality of this league, and has to get his mind clear, and then he’s going to be outstanding.

“If not, then he’s going to be a bust, but I’m pretty sure that will rock the Premier League,” he added.

RB Leipzig record may concern Tottenham Hotspur fans

Simons is an exciting talent and has the quality to make a big impact for Tottenham, but history suggests RB Leipzig players may not transition all that well to the Premier League.

Timo Werner and Christopher Nkunku both struggled at Chelsea despite destroying Bundesliga competition.

Werner then failed to impress at Tottenham, while Naby Keita never truly hit the heights expected of him at Liverpool.

Spurs fans may fear that Simons is another RB Leipzig star who won’t transition to Premier League life, especially as other Bundesliga stars have struggled in England.

Jadon Sancho, Christian Pulisic, Sebastien Haller and Henrik Mkhitaryan all spring to mind, but Tottenham must be convinced that Simons will prove to be a much better investment than any of those players, having rubber-stamped his move on Friday.