{"id":240688,"date":"2026-04-27T19:40:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T19:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/27\/de-zerbi-can-replace-xavi-simons-by-unleashing-spurs-new-dele-alli\/"},"modified":"2026-04-27T19:40:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T19:40:13","slug":"de-zerbi-can-replace-xavi-simons-by-unleashing-spurs-new-dele-alli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/27\/de-zerbi-can-replace-xavi-simons-by-unleashing-spurs-new-dele-alli\/","title":{"rendered":"De Zerbi can replace Xavi Simons by unleashing Spurs’ new Dele Alli"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

And just like that, Xavi Simons<\/a> maiden campaign as a Tottenham Hotspur<\/a> player has been snuffed out like a flame – and along with it, his World Cup dream with the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It’s a cruel end to the season for the Dutch playmaker, who joined Tottenham from RB Leipzig last summer for \u00a352m and arrived with a weight of expectation that has crushed him. It’s been a tough season, and now Roberto De Zerbi<\/a>‘s side have to pull themselves out of the Premier League<\/a> relegation zone without him.<\/p>\n

This is a snapshot into the Londoners’ deeper fitness problems. Injuries have plagued Tottenham over the past several years, forming the crux of their decline.<\/p>\n

Creativity has been in short supply for Tottenham this season, and Simons’ injury has aggravated that. How can they combat the Dutchman’s absence, not just over the next month but potentially for the remainder of 2026.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n How Spurs can replace Xavi Simons<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

Simons hasn’t had a fantastic season by any stretch, but he is a creative player, and Tottenham need all of the creativity they can scramble together right now.<\/p>\n

De Zerbi has taken charge of one of the Premier League’s least effective attacking outfits. Maybe Spurs have mustered a touch more fluency in recent weeks, but more is needed.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Lowest Premier League xG Totals (25\/26)<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

\n

Club<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

\n

Goals Scored<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

\n

xG<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

(16) Nott’m Forest<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

41<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

41.26<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

(17) Tottenham<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

42<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

39.56<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

(18) Sunderland<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

36<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

37.36<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

(19) Burnley<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

34<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

33.31<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

(20) Wolves<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

24<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

30.86<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability of a shot resulting in a goal.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Simons leads Spurs’ assist charts this season. He has assisted five goals in the Premier League, and he has created seven big chances, more than any of his peers. Tottenham’s playmaking problems are structural, and Simons has the potential to thrive as the nucleus.<\/p>\n

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have both missed the campaign with injuries. Maddison is fit once again, and will be expected to play a role over these final few weeks, but his Swedish partner is absent, having last played in April 2025.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Tottenham don’t just need to fret about replacing Simons for the next several matches, though. The Lilywhites will be without his services for many months yet, and with Maddison and Kulusevski undependable in terms of fitness levels, De Zerbi may be inclined to dig into the academy.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Spurs’ new Dele Alli could replace Simons<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

Tottenham could do with someone like prime Dele Alli right now. Unfortunately, Dele’s prime years in crisp Tottenham white are behind him.<\/p>\n

However, it might be wise for De Zerbi and co to make better use of one of the world’s finest academy systems, with the likes of Luca Williams-Barnett waiting in the wings.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"Dele\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The 17-year-old has not established himself as a household name – yet – but he has undoubtedly impressed his youth coaches, skilful and tenacious and skilled out wide or in a central attacking position.<\/p>\n

Journalist Sean Walsh has actually remarked that there are “shades of Dele<\/a>” about the youngster, a natural game-changer with a prolific edge. This season, he has posted 16 goals and eight assists across 19 matches for the development team.<\/p>\n

Spurs could do with a talent of Dele’s ilk to steer them back into the limelight, and while Williams-Barnett is a mere hatchling on the major stage, he may just need one shot to prove his worth.<\/p>\n

The leap from youth football to the senior stage is a significant one, but he has the quality to thrive. Sadly, he isn’t around to make an impact right now, sidelined since February with an injury, but Simons is not going to be back on the grass for a long time, and he could fill that hole next year.<\/p>\n

Whether that occurs in the Premier League or the Championship remains to be seen, but there’s no denying Williams-Barnett’s potential.<\/p>\n

A vibrant and multi-faceted attacker, he came off the bench when Tottenham beat Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup earlier this season, and repeated appearances on the bench in the Premier League and Champions League emphasise the respect his coaches, of which there have been numerous, have shown in him.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"Luca\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Described as “one of the most exciting talents in England<\/a>” by football scout Jacek Kulig, Williams-Barnett might not be able to influence Tottenham’s crucial coming period, but he certainly has the potential to emerge in Dele-esque style next year.<\/p>\n

\n\"Tottenham\n <\/picture>\n

\n
\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\tA bigger flop than Solanke: De Zerbi must bin Spurs’ new Timo Werner
\n\t\t<\/a>
\n\t<\/h5>\n

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi must allow this flop to leave the club in the summer.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And just like that, Xavi Simons maiden campaign as a Tottenham Hotspur player has been snuffed out like a flame – and along with it, his World Cup dream with the Netherlands. It’s a cruel end to the season for the Dutch playmaker, who joined Tottenham from RB Leipzig last summer for \u00a352m and arrived […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":240689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6808],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-240688","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=240688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240688\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=240688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=240688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}