Micky van de Ven, Xavi Simons and Igor Tudor (Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Tottenham’s caretaker manager Igor Tudor aimed for a subtle irony as he tried to explain why he will not start Xavi Simons.
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The Dutch international looked like an exciting signing when he joined Spurs from RB Leipzig last summer, but his first season in the Premier League has been quite lackluster.
Simmons has only scored two goals and provided five assists for Tottenham so far, so it might not be too surprising if he is no longer guaranteed a starting spot.
Still, the north London outfit splashed out on the 22-year-old last summer, with BBC Sport reporting his fee at the time was £52m.
Igor Tudor talks about decision not to use Xavi Simons
Asked about Simmons in a press conference, Tudor made it clear that even if the former Leipzig player were to sign a major contract for the club, he felt he could not start him because he is currently just doing what is best for the team.
See Tudor’s answer below. The Croatian tactician still offers Simmons something of a lifeline, but has hinted that he could join the squad at a later date, even if he is not yet…
Can Xavi Simmons bounce back at Tottenham?
Simmons is certainly motivated to turn his career around at Spurs, but it will be interesting to see what happens to him this summer.
Firstly, it’s probably hard to imagine him continuing to play in the Championship even if THFC were to be relegated.
It could also make sense for the club to sell or loan him out to improve certain aspects of his game.
Symonds has natural talent and ability but looks like he still needs to mature when it comes to decision-making and perhaps also struggles with the physical side of English football. That’s something he can strive for and that could happen with age anyway.
