Tottenham Hotspur made Xavi Simons their fifth signing of the 2025 summer window, as the club looked to inject fresh creativity into midfield.
The Netherlands international joined Spurs at a time when James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski were sidelined with injuries, leaving the squad short of attacking spark and invention.
It was hardly a straightforward pursuit for Tottenham, with the club originally chasing Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze earlier in the window, but as the deadline approached and both slipped away, Spurs moved swiftly to secure Simons, a player long admired across Europe.
Here is a closer look into the life and career of Tottenham’s number 7 – Xavi Simons.
Who is Xavi Simons
Xavi Quentin Shay Simons, born 21 April 2003, is a 23-year-old Dutch professional footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and the Netherlands national team.
He wears the number seven shirt at Tottenham, succeeding club legend Heung-min Son, who departed earlier in the 2025 summer.
Xavi Simons at PSG, PSV and RB Leipzig
A product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, Simons switched to Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, initially joining the under-19s before making his senior debut in 2021. He lifted both the Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France during his time in Paris.
In 2022, Simons returned to the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven, where he enjoyed a breakout campaign, winning the KNVB Cup, Johan Cruyff Shield, and finishing as Eredivisie’s joint top scorer in his only season there. His form earned him a swift return to PSG, who immediately loaned him to RB Leipzig in Germany.
Over two seasons in the Bundesliga, he enhanced his reputation with consistent output, and in 2025, he made a permanent move to Tottenham Hotspur, signalling his readiness to take on the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur sign Xavi Simons for £51m
On 29 August 2025, Tottenham confirmed the signing of Xavi Simons on a five-year deal, with the fee understood to be around £51.8 million.
The move came after Tottenham failed to land other targets, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze opting for rival clubs.
Yet the deal was notable for Simons’ decision to reject Chelsea, who had pursued him aggressively throughout the summer.
It was a statement signing for Thomas Frank, underlining Spurs’ intent to add quality and depth in a pivotal area of the pitch.
Xavi Simons’ Tottenham story so far
It proved to be a season that Simons and pretty much everyone of a Tottenham Hotspur persuasion did not expect.
With relegation a growing possibility as the season stretched on, Simons began finding his groove and proving himself to be a key man.
He ended the season with five goals in 41 matches. However, away to Wolves where Tottenham came away with a crucial 1-0 win, Simons ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.
This meant seven months on the sidelines at minimum, ruling him out for the rest of the season. It also meant he missed the World Cup.
Xavi Simons’ career honours and individual awards
Simons has already built a strong honours list for a 22-year-old. With PSG, he won Ligue 1 in 2021-22 and the Coupe de France in 2020-21.
At PSV Eindhoven, he claimed the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield in 2022, while at RB Leipzig he lifted the DFL-Supercup in 2023.
Individually, he was named Eredivisie Player of the Month twice, Eredivisie Talent of the Month once, and shared the Eredivisie Golden Boot in 2022-23.
He was crowned Eredivisie Talent of the Year, while in Germany he collected Bundesliga Rookie of the Month awards, Bundesliga Goal of the Month awards, and was included in the VDV Bundesliga Team of the Season.
Xavi Simons career honours and individual awards
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2021–22
- Coupe de France: 2020–21
PSV Eindhoven
- KNVB Cup: 2022–23
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2022
RB Leipzig
- DFL-Supercup: 2023
Individual
- Eredivisie Player of the Month: August 2022, March 2023
- Eredivisie Talent of the Month: January 2023
- Eredivisie top scorer: 2022–23 (shared)
- Eredivisie Talent of the Year: 2022–23
- Bundesliga Goal of the Month: September 2023, January 2024
- Bundesliga Rookie of the Month: December 2023, April 2024
- VDV Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2023–24
Xavi Simons club career stats
Across his senior career, Simons has produced strong numbers. At RB Leipzig, he made 78 appearances with 22 goals and 24 assists, while at PSV Eindhoven, he scored 22 goals with 11 assists in 48 matches.
His time at PSG was more limited, with just 11 senior appearances, though he impressed heavily at the youth level, scoring freely for both the under-19s and in UEFA Youth League action.
Xavi Simons positional breakdown by appearances and output
Simons is highly versatile across the attacking midfield line. His most frequent role has been as a number 10, playing 77 games, scoring 26 goals and assisting a further 22.
He’s also played a lot of his games on the left wing, where he’s had 71 appearances with 19 goals and 20 assists.
He has also been deployed on the right wing (27 matches, 7 goals, 6 assists) and as a centre-forward (13 appearances, 5 goals, 6 assists).
He has featured less frequently in deeper midfield or second striker roles but has shown he can adapt wherever required.
| Position | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attacking Midfield | 77 | 26 | 22 |
| Left Winger | 71 | 19 | 20 |
| Right Winger | 27 | 7 | 6 |
| Centre-Forward | 13 | 5 | 6 |
| Central Midfield | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Left Midfield | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Second Striker | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Xavi Simons injury record by season
Simons had largely maintained a clean injury record across his young career, though in the 2024-25 campaign, he suffered an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for 70 days and forced him to miss 15 games.
As stated in 2025-26, he sustained an ACL injury, ruling him out for the rest of that campaign and well into the new one.
Xavi Simons’ personal life
Born in Amsterdam, Simons is the son of Peggy Simons and Regillio Simons, a former Dutch footballer of Surinamese descent. His older brother Faustino, also a footballer, shares the same birthday.
Off the pitch, he became one of the most marketable teenagers in football, signing his first Nike deal at 13, later moving to Adidas and eventually Puma.
Simons also featured in a 2018 Nike advert alongside global stars like Neymar and Ronaldinho, and built a huge online following early in his career. His representation changed hands after the passing of Mino Raiola, and in 2023 he signed with Darren Dein as his agent.