18-year-old Spurs wonderkid is coming for Xavi Simons’ number 7 t-shirt

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Released Oct 7, 2026, 9:10 AM GMT +1

Robbie is the Assistant Editor at Football FanCast, specialising in football analysis, transfer protection and function writing, with specific know-how in Manchester United, Celtic, Rangers and the larger Premier League and Scottish football.

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Robbie signed up with Football FanCast through the website’s academy program in 2022, advancing to the Exclusives group before ending up being Assistant Editor in October 2023. His work integrates initial reporting, transfer insight, football analysis and notified function writing, with a specific concentrate on comprehending the context behind the most recent news and what advancements suggest for clubs, supervisors and gamers.

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Xavi Simons had huge shoes to fill when taking the number 7 t-shirt at Tottenham Hotspur, the jersey having actually been used by club legend, Heung-min Son, for a years prior to that.

It’s reasonable to state that the Dutchman hasn’t handled to fill Son’s space yet in north London, among numerous to be overruled by injury throughout what was a turbulent 2025/26 project.

He’ll no doubt be munching at the bit to return healthy and shooting once again, excited to offset wasted time. Can he have a long-lasting future under Roberto De Zerbi?

When will Simons bet Spurs once again?

De Zerbi’s very first win in charge of Spurs came at an expense back in April, with the 1-0 triumph away at Molineux seeing Simons extended off after suffering an ACL injury.

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It seemed like especially vicious timing as the ex-RB Leipzig guy had actually started to reveal indications of life at N17, memorably gunning because sensational effort in the 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion a week previously.

Unfortunately, De Zerbi has actually given that needed to make do without his number 7, with Simons required to miss this summertime’s World Cup as he deals with a prolonged stint on the sidelines.

While he has actually been making development in his healing, the expectation is that the 23-year-old will not include once again till early 2027, with February having actually been kept in mind as a practical month to go for.

This new-look group will need to take shape in his lack, although it’s not as if Simons was always shooting anyhow, following a combined start in English football.

Assessing Simons’ very first season at Spurs in numbers

Bought from Leipzig for a reported charge of around ₤ 52m last summertime, the ex-PSV Eindhoven and Paris Saint-Germain male appeared like a genuine coup at the time of his arrival in north London.

His spell in Germany, for example, had actually seen him chalk up 46 objectives and helps in 78 video games in all competitors, while at PSV, his record had actually stood at 33 objective participations in simply 48 overall video games.

Obviously, injury has actually been the crucial problem given that heading to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, yet even before that, the playmaker had actually had a hard time to start, acquiring simply 11 objectives and helps in 41 video games.

Not a miserable record, yet it’s worth keeping in mind that he’s just scored 2 Premier League objectives so far, his finest work can be found in the Champions League, including his sensational brace versus Atletico Madrid.

Understanding how finest to use the Netherlands worldwide has actually been a crucial issue, as he’s swept in between a left-wing berth and a number 10 function, while he’s stopped working to reproduce the innovative supremacy he showcased back in Germany.

He’s got lots of work to do to impress when he does go back to action in the brand-new year, not least with gamers breathing down his neck in those chosen functions.

Spurs have the best gamer to take Simons’number 7 t-shirt

Let’s face it, Spurs have not clicked into equipment in an assaulting sense up until now under De Zerbi, the similarity Omar Marmoush, Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus and Savio all waiting to leave the mark in the Premier League this season.

Presently sat rock-bottom of the table, the Lilywhites require something to alter faster instead of later on, in the middle of the danger of yet another season filled with talk of transfer.

They can’t manage for the similarity Simons to return in shape and shooting once again, with De Zerbi in requirement of an immediate uplift in efficiency.

Well, it may well be time to thrust young Luca Williams-Barnett into the mix, the teen a prime prospect to resolve Tottenham’s concerns left wing or in a number 10 function.

Those 2 positions have actually been a concern up until now this season, amidst Simons ‘lack, yet the 18-year-old undoubtedly should have an appropriate opportunity to stake a claim of his own.

He did function late on in the thumping win over Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup, although that is still among simply 2 first-team looks that Williams-Barnett has actually made to date.

Reducing a gamer of his age in is a sensible relocation, yet in the middle of the continuous issues relating to the absence of a path in the academy ranks, promoting the playmaker completely would be the ideal method to quash that talk.

In the view of expert and Como scout, Ben Mattinson, Williams-Barnett is “one of England’s best talents at youth level“his record promoting itself, too, it needs to be stated.

In 32 video games for the U18s, he scored and helped 37 objectives, while he’s because made the smooth action up to life in the U21 set-up, notching 15 objectives participations in simply 12 looks up until now.

He’s begun this season in widespread type in basic too, just recently signing up an objective and help in the 4-2 win over Manchester City, assisting to lead Spurs to the top of the Premier League 2 table.

REUTERS/Hollie Adams

That outing significantly saw the child blaze a trail in regards to effective dribbles finished and overall shots signed up, matching Simons as somebody who enjoys to attempt his luck from variety.

Williams-Barnett seems like a super star in the making, the best gamer to unlock De Zerbi’s limp forward line.

With Simons out of the photo, now appears the perfect time to thrust the teen into the mix. Who understands, he might even render the stricken Dutchman redundant before too long, taking that number 7 jersey for himself.