Spurs Set to Stun Premier League with Xavi Simons Signing | A Game Changing Transfer?

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1:02Jack:Hello everyone, welcome back to Rule the Rouge podcast. Welcome for the first time to Kish from Lily White Lab. Obviously we're basking in the news today, Kish, that it seems, I mean, I think we can safely say now, Xavi Simmonds, Xavi or Xavi? Xavi, let's go Xavi. Xavi Simmonds is a Tottenham Hotspur player, mate. yeah um barring any crazy u-turn which is still in the back of my mind but it looks like it's done um it's the top of the trauma isn't it yeah i know any other club would be would be putting their phone away now they wouldn't even need to look at it again um but yeah i think this one for me is is um probably the the most excited i've ever been for a signing in my life along with probably Ndombele, which obviously we know how that worked out.

1:52But yeah, I can't explain to you how over the moon I am with this signing for loads of different reasons, which I'm sure we'll explore.

2:03Jack:I mean, the thing is, it's mad. I'm probably twice your age, mate. I'm 40 years old. And I think this is probably, I was saying on Twitter, this is like the biggest signing we've made since I was about nine years old, which is Jürgen Klinsmann. I know we've had some big players down the years, But in terms of stature, his age, the fee, this feels like Tottenham doing what we've wanted them to do for a long time now, which is buy the best players available to them for the big money. His wages are going to be massive. It's a statement of intent, isn't it? 100%. This is definitely the first time I can remember us going big on a player who's not over the hill in terms of past their peak, but also not pre their peak.

2:49They're not like... Obviously, there's big potential there but he's a player who will make an impact at any club in the world instantly. And he's a superstar player. Like he's like not necessarily a superstar now but just the kind of stature and the sort of personality and influence that players like him have. He's a superstar and the kind of player you want to have as the face of your club. And that's what he's destined to be. He's always been that, like a potential franchise player. And so, yeah, it seems crazy that we've managed to get this one done.

3:32Jack:I promise I'm not just saying this because he went to Arsenal and all that type of thing, but suddenly signing Simmons just instantly makes me get over the Eze thing. Eze, he's a great player, don't get me wrong, and I would have been very happy had we signed him. But again, this feels like another level to that. I reckon if they were being brutally honest to themselves, there's going to be a lot of Arsenal fans looking at this thinking, how have they done that? Like they've signed Simmonds for cheaper, for cheaper than what they bought Eze for, right? I mean, it's mad, isn't it? 100%. And I've said from the start of the window, since it was clear that one, we were targeting a 10 and then two, obviously, Madison went down injured, my first choice was always Simmonds.

4:14And it was always like a pipe dream, but I knew he was on the market. And in terms of 10s on the market, obviously Verts went early to Liverpool. That was the one. He was the one for me that would be a game changer. It was always like a bit of a pipe dream, though. I didn't ever expect it to actually even materialize fully. It was one of those links that I would just see pop up. but yeah I think in terms of where Eze was when he was Simmons's age it's night and day and obviously football doesn't work like that but I just think Simmons has a level to go up as well and for me Simmons is he brings more superstar like feeling and sort of being the one to win games on his own I think Eze's added a bit of that to his game recently but Simmons just carries that weight when you see him play you know those players who will just they'll take the ball in any situation they they they look like they they want to be the main man and I think every top team needs those superstars to kind of be the be the difference in tight games take them over the line in in kind of big moments and I do think Simmons is that kind of player he's got that you can see

5:30Jack:he's kind of he's got that aura doesn't he that kind of main character kind of I don't want to say arrogance but he does carry himself in that way and we we definitely need that because obviously Kane's gone Sonny's gone we've got some great players Kudus is way better than I thought he was going to be um but still like you say and I think you touched on it really well there that we just need that we need that superstar factor on the pitch and I think we've all needed the lift as well right after this summer it's been it's been a pretty miserable summer um as a Spurs fan But I've got to say, mate, one of the main reasons I got you on here is to give you your credit.

6:06Jack:You've been saying since like day one, if we got Xavi Simmonds in somehow, this would be a game changing signing. And I've seen people going to you like, get your head out of the clouds. Come on, get real. And you were like, hey, we can definitely sign players like this and we need to sign players like this. So you've kept the faith all along, man. And I think like fair play to you. This is Kish's talent ID at play. Yeah, I think I do have a tendency to be optimistic with Spurs, despite being kind of let down a lot. But I do think that I have more issue with the process around how we sign. I don't think we've struggled to spend money in the last few summers.

6:52I think we've spent a lot. I think it's just been a bit scattergun, and it's still been scattergun this summer. But I do think our recruitment is getting better and getting smarter in terms of the players targeting, the right profiles. I really like the shift to signing younger players, although it seems as if we're going back to this sort of prem-proven thing this summer. But I think the recruitment has been really smart. Probably not enough of it and probably too leaning towards potential. But I think it's also hard to see the bigger picture when you're a fan and you're constantly in the kind of mix of it.

7:30But these players that are going to be hitting their prime, Pape Sarr seems to be this. For me, it's a big season for him. He's started the season incredibly. But that's the kind of player we signed for eight, eight, ten million, something like that. And two, three years ago and everyone said, oh, we always buy these young players. But now when they start to hit their peak, people will really see how valuable those signings are. And you also need to sign for the present, which I think we've done this summer really well. Pelinho, Kudus and Simmons are all players that improve us instantly. And it's clear that the club wanted to do that this summer.

8:07It's been a bit all over the place. But I think we're creating a really nice blend of... I want to say experience, but I don't even mean kind of experience. I mean readiness, really. Just readiness. And I think Simmonds is 100 % that along with the other two.

8:24Jack:I think what speaks volumes to his character really is that because I've seen some reports around it saying that, you know, there were some question marks around his attitude and behavior at Leipzig and all this type of thing, which, look, you know, we've heard this sort of Jed Spence for however many seasons and he's one of our best players this season and just got on his England call up today. So, you know, well done to him. But the thing that speaks to Simmons' character for me that I find quite exciting is that, all right, maybe he has wanted Chelsea. Maybe he has been waiting for them, but he hasn't kind of sulked about it.

8:58Jack:He hasn't gone back to Leipzig and thought, I'll wait until somebody like Chelsea or maybe Bayern or somebody pick me up. He's actually sort of taken it upon himself to step into a club like Tottenham, which, you know, I think we can honestly say we're obviously a good club. I think we tend to bring ourselves down a bit. But the past few years, at least, have shown that we're not one of the very, very best clubs going. But we have aspirations of getting up there. The stadium is amazing. The training facilities are incredible. And I think the fact he's wanted to step into that void that a player like Sonny has left to be our, and people are using this term a lot, but the franchise player, if you like, I think speaks volumes to him.

9:37Jack:I don't know if you saw quite a few Spurs fans were like tagging him in like their Insta stories and stuff like that last night, basically saying, come be our main guy. Like we will love you here. You will be like the hero. And he was viewing them. Oh, really? Yeah. I think the first few were real. You don't know after that point, people start faking it and all that type of thing. But I just thought that was quite interesting. And maybe it's slightly naive of me, but there is a bit of me that wonders if even just little things like that tip the balance a bit, knowing you've got a fan base there who are actually going to adore you.

10:12Jack:And like I say, you're an optimistic fan, so I know I'm sort of preaching to the converted here. I don't think he's doing us a favour, though. I think he's maybe just realising, actually, this club is a bit of a sleeping giant. It's an amazing opportunity. And if I can come here and be like the main guy in a Premier League club that has started the season really well, clearly wants to achieve big things, I think he's smart. And I like that. I like that attitude. Yeah, I think his character cannot go unnoticed because this is a player who was the first or at least the first big Instagram famous academy kid.

10:52so from when he was 11 12 his clips were going viral he was very like striking visually he had big blonde hair um in the in the barcelona academy um he was dutch playing in the barcelona academy which i think brought him extra attention um and he was like the captain and he was kind of running the show at that age and he kept kept rising and rising i think he probably had like a million followers before he was even 16 or something like that and so i think the fact that he is actually we see so many players who have all that hype and it's really hard for them to live up to it because you don't know what's going to happen.

11:28It's also so hard for a kid to deal with that mentally, whether they kind of crumble under that or whether they get too arrogant under that. It can go either way. And I think the fact that he's actually just made it to the top level with all that kind of weighing on his shoulders, he's made some really brave but also smart career choices. So he left Barcelona Academy to go to PSG Academy, where I think he was promised a better pathway, although that didn't then come. And so he went out on loan to PSV. And I think they bought him permanently with a buyback. So PSG then bought him back. Then he went to Leipzig on loan, killed it on the first loan spell because, again, PSG weren't giving him that guaranteed pathway.

12:12So then he left permanently to Leipzig. so he's not a player that's happy to sit around and earn money and that kind of thing. He wants to be a winner. He wants to compete. He wants to play games, most importantly, and he knows that that's key for development, which is why I think he'll appreciate that Spurs is the right move. And when you see him play, he's the kind of player that fans will fall in love with, not just because of his on-the-ball quality, but the tenacity, the competitiveness. I think it's probably what's got him to the top along with his, obviously, talent. Because it's easy as a player who's that hyped up to kind of think that your name is going to carry the weight to get you to the top.

12:58But he seems to be someone who really puts in the hours, wants to win, wants to compete, wants to be the best. So I think that's massive.

13:07Jack:Let's, I mean, let's get into that a bit more. let's get into what he's like as a player and what he's going to bring to Spurs because there's obviously a reason why you've wanted him so much at Tottenham is it him just as a player or is it because you think he uniquely will fit in quite well into what it is that we're doing right now with Thomas Frank so for me it's it's both really so for example um my my favorite player in the world is probably Shirky, who Man City signed this summer. But I wouldn't have been as big on Spurs signing him because I know what Thomas Frank wants from his 10. And Thomas Frank, one, is a manager who wants to play intense football.

13:49We saw how intense we were against Man City. He wants to be big on transitions. He wants to win second balls, win jewels. We saw that kind of speech before one of his friendlies where he was big on second balls and drills. And so I think what he wants from his 10 is a kind of all-action 10. So obviously someone that, stereotypically a number 10, what they do is create goals, score goals, make goals, cut teams open, stuff like that. And he does definitely want that. But I think what else he wants is someone who can really help with progression. And I think because of our lack of progression in terms of our passing players in midfield, I think Frank will mitigate that by dropping that 10 in at times to come and collect the ball in that closer proximity and then carry it into the final third.

14:39And that requires athleticism, dribbling and carrying ability. So he has both of those things. And then he also has, then once he does get into the final third, the quality to both score and create goals. And I think that 10 role is quite a big ask. and I think Dam's guard was, and obviously the levels are different, it's Brentford to Tottenham, but Dam's guard was the key to a lot of what Brentford were doing last season. And part of it was being that all-action player, dropping into midfield, but then also being a real decisive player in the final third. And I think both are as important as each other and I think Simmonds can do both to a high level.

15:20Jack:I think the thing that obviously makes him appealing to Thomas Frank is he's quite versatile as well, isn't he, in that final third? I think his core position is that number 10 role, isn't it? But he can play out wide and has done at points in his career, hasn't he, as well? Yeah, he's played both flanks. He's played false nine at times. He's played deeper in midfield at times. Of course, 10 is definitely his best role. And I think the left flank is probably his second best role. He's just very, very intelligent. and just you can tell he's had the kind of education of a Barca Academy kid like just an amazing IQ of football and so I think that really helps with his versatility I think one of the main probably downsides of him is he's very one-footed which is why I think the left flank suits him much better because he wants to cut into his right foot he does mitigate this a lot by using the outside of his foot a lot.

16:22But that would be probably the main and only real negative I can think of with Simmons. Barring that, he's pretty much the perfect profile, I want to say, for what we need.

16:36Jack:It's one of those things, isn't it? He's quite one-footed, but it's a hell of a foot as well. Like some of the goals he scored, I mean, notably against England where he's mugged off Declan Rice as well, which we hope to see a bit more of. I think the thing that's really stuck out, because obviously I've done the thing that everyone's probably doing today, is watching the compilations, seeing the way he plays. And I think the thing that really stuck out for me is that, I mean, obviously, primarily that he's such a positive player. He gets the ball and he's driving forwards. And that's just the sort of, I mean, probably every club says this about their club.

17:08Jack:But that to me is just like, that's characteristic of like, you know, sort of the glory days of Tottenham. seeing Aaron Lennon pick the ball up on the wing and just bomb it forwards, always trying to get forwards, always being positive. And that seems to come out from Simmons a lot. But the thing that surprised me a lot is that he tends to track back quite a bit. He gets stuck in and he's a good tackler. He seems to break up sort of opposition play a lot as well. And like I say, that really did surprise me. He's not just this sort of flashy attacking player, is he? No, and that's what I wanted to kind of make clear.

17:41Obviously, for someone who's been such a big Instagram famous player, you kind of expect that player who's just going to do what he wants and not really help the team in the tougher moments. And he's someone who is so competitive, really tenacious, wants to win every kind of duel. I think I've seen a lot of people saying that he's going to struggle physically. I don't know really where that narrative's come from. A lot of people are saying, do you think he's going to cope physically? I don't know if that's something to do with Verts coming in, being a 10 from the Bundesliga, but Simmonds is built physically.

18:19He's not going to struggle in terms of holding his weight in the league. I think where maybe all players can struggle in coming to the Premier League is the intensity. But I think a lot of that comes with time and just getting used to it and just realising. But then the Bundesliga is a pretty fast-paced league as well. So I don't see those struggles with him. where I did someone also ask me a question on him of where how do you think Frank can develop him even better and I said that I think sometimes like you said he's he's ultra ultra positive and I think we see these criticisms for Bruno Fernandes sometimes is that they're so eager to make things happen that they can force it at times and it's just like that at 28 29 whatever Fernandes is, that's not really coachable.

19:06It's probably just him. But at 22, 23, you can really shape a player to know when, okay, we're 1-0 up right now. It's the 80th minute. Let's not force a through ball. Let's keep possession. Just little things like that, I think, is something that probably Frank can take him up a level with. But you always want them to be ultra positive rather than too safe. So for your number 10, you want a really positive player. You want them to try things. They're the kind of players that we all love. and so yeah I think I think he's exactly that I mean that's the the physicality thing I'm not

19:38Jack:really buying that at all because people said that the same sort of thing of Luka Modric back in the day and you can just see from from Simmons's like compilations he's got that low center of gravity he's a stocky guy and he puts himself about like he's not he's not like a Brian Hill kind of diminutive player whatsoever so I think that's just people trying to uh trying to bring it down um what what sort of relationships within the squad are you looking forward to i mean i would imagine the obvious answer is kudos really but like can you can you where who can you see him sort of like linking up particularly well within in the squad to be honest i um obviously kudos and him are just very high technical players um for me i i really like the idea of seeing him and solanke um i know solanke is not necessarily the starting nine at the moment but I do obviously I think he's going to get a lot of meaningful minutes of course and the reason I say that is Simmons is so good at combining in tight areas and I think what Solanke is really good at is pinning his centre back and linking play so in and around the box where it's really cramped and really tight and we're trying to break through I can imagine that Simmons playing a little one-two off Solanke and then getting shot off I think what Simmons can also do really well is actually make runs in behind like we used to see Dele Alli do a lot that run beyond the striker with Kane at the time dropping in I think Solanke and him will have a really nice relationship there because Solanke really understands that sort of double movement as Solanke drops in drags a defender Simmons can run beyond him and Simmons wants to score goals and I think that that relationship will be will be really nice to see and it's not it'll be nice for someone to be on kind of Solanke's wavelength I guess in and around the box I think he is that's probably for me his strongest attribute is his link play although he's a good presser as well but I think that that's his strongest attribute and to have a player that can now score goals with Solanke and the team because I don't I don't think Solanke is necessarily a great striker of the ball but I think having him as more of a link player to really kind of set Simmons up at times I think that could be a really nice relationship.

21:46Jack:What about Kulusevsky Can you see them sort of linking up well? And I'm quite interested to know where Kulisevsky sort of figures in the long-term vision right now, because it feels like the, I don't know, the team is moving past him in a way. But I don't want to feel it because I really like Kulisevsky. I think he's a really talented player. I just sort of struggled to see where he fits right now. I think what's great with Kulisevsky is that we really saw under Ange how overplayed he was. And that first three months, he was insane. And then it kind of all went down. I know he got injured and then came back.

22:26It seemed like too soon. And he was nowhere near the player. And I think what Kulishevsky brings is incredible. I think his ability, I think Frank will adore Kulishevsky. I really do because he's intense. He's so good at holding players off. He's so strong. He's so good on the counterattack. I think he's actually a better transitional player than he is against sort of settled blocks. I think he's a really, really top player. For me, I think Frank will probably use him on the right more, I want to say. And that's because I don't see it as natural for Kulosev to just kind of drop into the midfield three as much to kind of collect the ball.

23:10And I also don't really see him as a kind of playmaker necessarily in terms of he's got real good vision and stuff, but he's not a natural, natural technician in terms of how he can thread little passes through. He can, but not to the same extent of a Madison or a Simmons. So I think it's just about rotation, really. I think we'll have top options. Kudusovsky can obviously cover two positions. I was really worried about Kudus potentially getting injured at some point, and I think having Kudusovsky back will release some of the load on him because I think he's going to be so vital. And I do think fans have got to get this idea out.

23:50The head is there's a starting XI. And I really don't think starting XI really exists anymore. If we look back on the teams that have won the title in the last few years and then look back on their biggest games, you won't really see many of their lineups being exactly the same. There's always a couple of changes, whether that's injury, whether that's rotation.

24:10Jack:Man City are a prime example, aren't they? Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

24:17Jack:I guess this sort of puts play to where I was going to go. But, I mean, what do you think is sort of a settled, I mean, not say like starting XI, but how do you think the team sort of looks? If we're talking about a cup final, and I'm sure it would depend on the opposition. If we're looking at a cup final, how do you think we line up if everyone's fit? So, I'd go, obviously, Vicario in goal.

24:51Poro, Romero, Van der Ven, the left-back is tough. But I would probably... I'd probably go Spence in the cup final. I'd probably go Pelinha, Saar, Simmons. Kudus Johnson

25:19Solanke probably yeah that's probably why I'd go