Xavi Simons hasn’t managed to impress at Tottenham Hotspur since joining them from RB Leipzig at the end of August. The attacking midfielder hasn’t scored for Spurs yet and has two assists from 15 matches.
On Tuesday, L’Equipe reported Simons privately admits he can’t cope with the intensity both in matches and training.
Le Parisien report his difficult start at Tottenham won’t dampen his mood ahead of the Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain later today.
The newspaper have interviewed the 22-year-old, who had two spells with the Ligue 1 winners.
Simons left Barcelona to join PSG’s academy in 2019 and was promoted to their first team two years later. He played only 11 matches for the French club before being sold to PSV Eindhoven in 2022.
A year later, PSG exercised a buyback clause and immediately sent him on loan to Leipzig. Earlier this year, the Bundesliga side made the Netherlands international’s stay permanent and sold him to Tottenham.
Despite only making a handful of appearances for PSG, the Dutchman has a fond memory of his spell in Paris.
“I’m really looking forward to it. You know, I had some excellent times in Paris. It’s where I took the first steps of my professional career,” he said.
“Being alongside Neymar, Mbappé, Verratti, such talented players, and seeing how the whole team approached football, not only on the pitch but also off it, was very enriching for me. They showed me what I needed to do to reach the highest level. Playing here was a fantastic experience.”
He’s eager to impress on his return to Parc des Princes with Tottenham on Wednesday.
“I made a lot of friends in Paris. But now, I have to admit that after playing with Wilson Odobert in the PSG youth team, I’m especially eager to return to the Parc des Princes and share that moment with him,” Simons explained.
Earlier this month, Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé, his former teammate, praised Simons for leaving PSG. Le Parisien now asked the Tottenham player why he left the Paris club.
“It was the right decision at the time. I needed more playing time to continue developing. I have very fond memories of that period,” he added.