Forget Kudus: Tottenham Hotspur may already have a “magician” capable of keeping them in the Premier League—if Roberto De Zerbi can unlock his potential.
Spurs are battling to avoid relegation, but their situation has worsened following a setback for Mohammed Kudus during his recovery. The Ghanaian, sidelined since January with a quadriceps injury, had recently resumed first-team training and was expected to return in time to play a key role under De Zerbi.
However, the 25-year-old has suffered a recurrence of the injury and could now require surgery, potentially ruling him out for the remainder of the season and even this summer’s World Cup.
De Zerbi must now look elsewhere. After signing a five-year deal in north London, the Italian has just seven games to secure Tottenham’s top-flight status before turning attention to a summer rebuild.
A known admirer of Kudus from his time at Brighton, De Zerbi would have hoped to rely on his creativity in the run-in. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski both sidelined long-term with knee injuries, and Wilson Odobert also out after an ACL rupture, Spurs are short on attacking options.
With Kudus now unavailable as well, attention turns to Xavi Simons. Signed for a significant fee last summer, the 22-year-old was expected to play a leading role but has found it difficult to adjust to English football.
Despite that, Simons—often described as a “magician”—has still contributed four goals and five assists in all competitions. Notably, he scored twice in a recent Champions League win over Atletico Madrid, only to be surprisingly left out of the following Premier League match by Igor Tudor.
His quality is evident, having already impressed for both the Netherlands and RB Leipzig. Now, with Tottenham in need of inspiration, De Zerbi may have to place his trust in Simons and give him the platform to deliver when it matters most.
