Xavi Simons: Roberto De Zerbi's Key Player for Tottenham
Roberto De Zerbi has found his conduit on the pitch, and his name is Xavi Simons.
The Tottenham head coach, a former playmaking No 10 himself, sees a reflection of his own career in the Dutchman – and he’s not shy about saying so.
“He’s lucky to work with me – not because I’m good, because I was number 10,” De Zerbi told SpursPlay, half-smiling, half-laying down a challenge. “What he thinks now, I thought 20 years ago. So, we have a special connection.”
That bond is built on shared responsibility. De Zerbi doesn’t want a luxury playmaker. He wants a decisive one.
“I have a special connection with all number 10s I work with. I love a number 10,” he said. “A number 10 has to understand that he has to score and he has to make assists, not just play to be nice to the people – goals and assists.”
Simons arrived from RB Leipzig last summer for a reported £52 million, a statement signing for a side now fighting for their Premier League lives. His numbers so far: two goals and five assists in 27 league appearances. Respectable, but nowhere near the ceiling De Zerbi keeps pointing to.
The Italian is demanding something sharper, something more ruthless, every time Simons pulls on the shirt.
“He played very well, a great game,” De Zerbi said of the youngster’s recent display. “I think he can play better and better, because a player like this, he needs to feel confidence from the manager, and I stay here to transfer all the confidence he needs.”
This is where De Zerbi leans on his own past. He isn’t just coaching a talented attacker; he’s coaching a version of who he once was.
“I was a player, I was number 10, and I think I know what he thinks, because I thought the same when I was a player,” he continued. “I think I’m lucky to have this player on my team, but also he’s lucky because with number 10, I can understand better than other coaches.”
The timing of that understanding matters. Spurs are still chasing their first Premier League win of 2026 and sit 18th, locked in a relegation fight few anticipated. A 95th-minute equaliser conceded against Brighton last time out cut deep, exposing a fragile back line and draining yet more belief from a restless fanbase.
Now comes a trip to Molineux to face bottom-of-the-table Wolves on Saturday. On paper, it’s the kind of fixture a struggling side circles as an opportunity. In reality, it’s a test of nerve.
Lose, and the table starts to look brutal. Win, and the great escape suddenly feels possible.
The schedule after the Midlands is unforgiving, stacked with top-half opponents and precious little margin for error. That makes this weekend feel bigger than its billing. De Zerbi needs control, he needs resilience – and he needs his No 10 to turn artistry into end product.
If Simons truly is the player his manager believes he can be, this is the moment to prove it.
