De Zerbi now wants Spurs to sign £15m left-back instead of Andy Robertson

Tottenham were handed a huge blow over the weekend with the news that Xavi Simons is set to miss the rest of the season through injury, and manager Roberto De Zerbi is now reportedly at odds over their first signing of the summer.

Simons ‘heartbroken’ as knee injury ends his season

Tottenham have confirmed Xavi Simons has ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament damage in his right knee and will miss the rest of the season and the World Cup with the Netherlands.

The Netherlands playmaker went down clutching his right knee in the 58th against Wolves, where Spurs claimed a league win for the first time in 2026.

After falling to the floor following a collision with Wolves defender Hugo Bueno, Xavi attempted to run off the injury but collapsed in front of Tottenham’s medical staff and subsequently left Molineux on a stretcher.

In an Instagram post, Xavi revealed he would not be fit enough to take part in Tottenham’s final four league matches or represent the Netherlands at the World Cup this summer.

“They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way. My season has come to an abrupt end and I’m just trying to process it,” the former Paris St Germain player said.

“Honestly, I’m heartbroken. None of it makes sense.

“All I’ve wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me, along with the World Cup.”

The absence of the £52million attacker is a significant blow to Tottenham and De Zerbi, who has already lost captain Cristian Romero and winger Mohammed Kudus to season-ending injuries during his first month at the club.

Xavi had endured a frustrating debut campaign in England, only showing flashes of his class under Thomas Frank before being bizarrely frozen out by Igor Tudor, but looked set for a key role with De Zerbi, especially after a wonder strike in a 2-2 home draw with Brighton.

The Lilywhites still need to find out their fate before they can begin fully planning for the summer, but have begun to get deals into place on the assumption survival is secured.

De Zerbi eyeing new left-back despite agreeing Robertson deal

Indeed, Andy Robertson has reportedly fully agreed to sign for Spurs come the end of the season, on the condition that they remain a top flight club.

However, that deal could now come under scrutiny, as it appears De Zerbi prefers a different left-back target.

The Italian’s deal when he signed was the subject of much controversy, with it revealed by Italian media that he had been granted a significant say in all dealings at the club, including signings, as opposed to just a head coach.

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Now, the Italian media (translated by Sport Witness) claim De Zerbi is ‘ready’ to make a move for former Brighton star Pervis Estupinan.

Currently of AC Milan, the Ecuador international is set to leave Serie A the club at the end of the season, with Milan open to a sale for a relatively low fee of around £15m.

Having played 64 times under De Zerbi on the South Coast, scoring four times and providing 12 assists, the Spurs boss is believed to be a big fan of the South American’s fit in his system.

Whether he is fond enough to cancel what is essentially a fully agreed deal with Robertson remains to be seen.