Xavi Simons spent two years at RB Leipzig before joining Tottenham Hotspur for €65m last summer.
Chelsea were keen but didn’t make advances to close the signing. This gave Tottenham an opportunity to swoop in towards the end of August.
The attacking midfielder scored 11 goals and contributed eight assists for Leipzig last season. He hasn’t replicated his Bundesliga form for Tottenham so far, with one assist from 10 matches.
Dutch journalist Johan Derksen has analysed why the Netherlands international is struggling at Tottenham on Groeten uit Grolloo podcast. Voetbal Zone have relayed his comments.
Prior to arriving at Spurs, the 22-year-old had spells at Leipzig, PSV Eindhoven and Paris Saint-Germain. Derksen is of the belief Simons lacks the physical strength required to cope with the needs of the Premier League.
“He’s a great player who often used his tricks in the Netherlands. He also performed well in Germany, but in England, they are much stronger physically. If you look at the English league and switch to a different league, it’s completely different,” he said.
“You can see that he can’t keep up with the speed of action and is physically weaker. While Tijjani Reijnders doesn’t have that problem; he’s already one of the leading players at Manchester City.”
The analyst believes the Dutchman’s talent alone won’t be enough for him to shine for Thomas Frank’s side. He suggested what Simons need to do to improve his form.
“In the past, a lightweight with good technique could easily hold his own. Technique is no longer the only thing you need to contribute; you also need physical strength at the top level,” Derksen explained.
Earlier this month, Voetbal International journalist Süleyman Öztürk defended the Tottenham summer signing. He also insisted Simons needs time to adapt and adjust to his new surroundings.
Dutch pundits are notoriously harsh, especially with their compatriots.