Three players Tottenham could sign to replace Xavi Simons as Spurs issue ACL statement

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Xavi Simons suffered a ruptured ACL in the weekend's victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers and will soon undergo an operation.

The Dutchman fell to the turf in agony in the second half of Saturday's 1-0 Premier League win and had to be stretchered off the Molineux field.

Head coach Roberto De Zerbi confirmed that Simons had sustained a knee injury in his post-game press conference, although he refused to speculate on the severity of his issue immediately afterwards.

However, reports on Sunday evening claimed that Simons had suffered a devastating ACL rupture, and the playmaker announced on Instagram that he would miss the 2026 World Cup.

Simons did not directly confirm that his injury was ACL-related, but Spurs announced in a statement on Monday morning that the Netherlands international had sustained the season-ending issue and will have surgery in the "coming weeks".

Tottenham confirm Xavi Simons ACL injury and surgery

"We can confirm that Xavi Simons has ruptured the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee," Tottenham said in a statement. "The 23-year-old suffered the injury during the second half of our Premier League fixture at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

"Xavi will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and, following that, will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team. Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur sends Xavi our love and support - we will be with him every step of the way."

Not only will Simons miss the remainder of the Premier League season and the World Cup, but the 23-year-old is likely to sit out the rest of the calendar year before returning in the second half of the 2026-27 campaign.

Simons's first season at Tottenham comes to a premature end with the Dutchman registering five goals and six assists from 41 matches across all competitions, including two strikes and five helpers in the Premier League.

The Netherlands international's setback comes at a time when he was beginning to flourish in De Zerbi's system, producing a fine goal and assist against Brighton & Hove Albion two weekends ago.

Three players Tottenham can sign to replace Xavi Simons

A fully-fit Simons would have likely left Tottenham this summer if Spurs were relegated to the Championship, but his crushing blow means that a move away is surely off the cards.

At the same time, Dejan Kulusevski is still sidelined with a serious knee injury, while James Maddison is only just back from his ACL tear, and Mohammed Kudus is on the mend from a thigh setback.

Whether any of those players would stick around in the event of demotion remains to be seen, and Tottenham cannot finalise transfer plans until their top-flight or second-tier status is confirmed, but a replacement must be sought.