Xavi Simons, known for his flair, has yet to make a significant impact at Tottenham, leaving fans eagerly anticipating his breakthrough. Many were left unimpressed after he failed to influence the match against Aston Villa and botched a ‘rabona’ pass during the game at Leeds.

This isn’t quite the grand entrance expected from a player who joined the club for a hefty £52 million in the summer.

High transfer fees often lead to high expectations, as illustrated by Florian Wirtz. At 22, he shares the same age as Simons and was acquired by Liverpool for more than double the cost from Bayer Leverkusen.

Frank, speaking before a Champions League match in Monaco, remarked, “It’s a very apt comparison. Like Wirtz, Xavi is a talented player who is adjusting to a new country, club, and city. They just need time to settle in.”

“We are evaluated on every game, yet it’s important to consider the broader picture. I look for signs of progress, and with Xavi, I encouraged him to get into the box more often. When reviewing the Villa match, I noticed he did this. There wasn’t a standout moment, but there were signs of improvement, indicating progress in the right direction,” Frank added.

Xavi Simons is yet to score a goal for Spurs since signing from RB Leipzig in the summer

The Dutchman promised ‘flair’ when his transfer was announced, but Tottenham supporters are still waiting to see it

Simons has accumulated 499 minutes across all competitions for Spurs without scoring a goal. However, he did manage one assist during his debut against West Ham when his corner was converted by Pape Matar Sarr.

These basic numbers are not ideal for a player recruited to fill the creative void.

And on days like Sunday, when Villa won at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium thanks to goals by Morgan Rogers and Emi Buendia, attacking midfielders akin to Simons, drifting between the lines and scoring with high-class finishes from the fringes of the penalty area, it becomes the topic of debate.

Online conspiracies swirled around whether his team-mates were passing him the ball.

In the Premier League, however, Opta statistics showed Simons receives more open-play passes per 90 minutes than Mohammed Kudus, who has made a strong start to his Spurs career since a £55m move from West Ham.

So, let’s rule out the conspiracy theory. There are probably simpler, more basic factors in play as Thomas Frank tinkers with personnel in attacking areas as he searches for some chemistry.

As for Simons, he has played off the left but is ideally suited as the No10 in Frank’s current 4-2-3-1 formation. One very good judge of Dutch football told me when he signed that he could not see Simons excelling in the role off the left at Tottenham, and thus far it looks an accurate assessment.

The Netherlands international was nurtured in Barcelona’s La Masia academy. He adored Neymar, trod the same path from Catalunya to Paris Saint-Germain and, when asked to sum up his own style of football in one word after joining Spurs, he opted for ‘flair’ in homage to his hero.

Simons, who has one Spurs assist to his name, may be better off deployed in the number 10 position

The former wonderkid followed in the footsteps of his idol Neymar by leaving Barcelona for PSG

His output at Spurs has however been less fruitful than that of Mohammed Kudus

Simons fits the number 10 role in the modern sense because he has abundant energy. He is quick, dynamic, in perpetual motion, closing defenders down. He can thread passes, bounce one-twos and threaten the goal when on top of his game.

Tottenham have seen him fizzing just the once, off the bench at Brighton to help the team fight back from two down to salvage a draw. In those 29 minutes at the Amex Stadium, Simons had a cluster of three clear shots compared to just the one in the four Premier League games when he started.

He should have scored one of them, but it was undoubtedly his finest display in a Spurs shirt.

It came with Frank’s team committed to attack and opponents rattled. Lucas Bergvall and Joao Palhinha were deep in midfield by the time he came on, Kudus was excelling on the right, Richarlison a physical presence up front and Wilson Odobert, who later gave way to Brennan Johnson, offering pace on the left.

Spurs tried to replicate it a week later against Wolves, deploying Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur deep in midfield, Simons off the left and Bergvall at number 10, but on that day, they were fortunate to escape with a draw, at home against the team bottom of the Premier League.

Frank has restored Simons in the number 10 position for the last two games, sacrificing Bergvall, last season’s player of the year and darling of the fans. At 19, it seems Bergvall has yet to earn the manager’s trust in a deeper midfield role.

Thomas Frank is nevertheless adamant that his new signing will come good

The Dane watched his side slump to a 2-1 loss against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa on Sunday

Spurs also look a better team with Sarr’s mileage in midfield and yet he has not started in the Premier League since Simons made his debut. The right midfield formula eludes Frank, and that is connected as ever to other parts of the team.

‘We are relatively early days,’ said the Dane. ‘There has been a lot of progress overall. Very good in high pressure. Very aggressive against Villa. Very intense. Offensively, we scored quite a few goals and that’s what it’s about.

‘Also, how many teams right now play free-flowing top football three games in a row, in the Premier League? We are aiming for the perfect game every game. That’s what we want. But we know what we are working at and progressing nicely.’

The two recent Premier League games with Simons in number 10 – against Leeds and Aston Villa – both featured Mathys Tel at centre forward rather than Richarlison.

Tel is a very different type of player, who cannot provide the same focal point holding the ball up with his back to goal, duelling with centre halves and linking play as the Brazilian can.

There are missing elements too, because Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani have been injured. Brennan Johnson, top scorer last season, cannot get a game because of Kudus.

And there are moving parts because Frank likes to tweak his tactical plan depending on opponents.

Simons has played in his preferred number 10 role on his last two appearances for Tottenham, but has failed to make an impact

The 22-year-old needs time to adapt but, with players returning soon, needs to learn fast

Villa are solid down the spine, with Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana shielding the central defenders and wide players often tucking inside, so Spurs tried to play around and not through them.

It worked early on, but the Spurs boss conceded he would have liked more creativity from open play.

So, it is not only about Simons. There is more to it, but he must shoulder some responsibility. In his breakthrough year at PSV Eindhoven, he scored 21 goals in 44 appearances, and 24 goals in 78 during two years at Leipzig.

The Premier League is a step up and he might need time to adapt but if he is to be Tottenham’s number 10 and supply the flair, he must influence the games because Bergvall is competing for the same role and Dejan Kulusevski will be back in contention before the end of the year.