Xavi Simons

Xavi Quentin Shay Simons (born 21 April 2003) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and the Netherlands national team.

Simons came through Barcelona’s La Masia academy. In July 2019, he left for Paris Saint-Germain, initially joining their under-19s before making his senior debut in 2021. During his time at PSG, he won Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France. He returned to the Netherlands in 2022 with PSV, where in a single season he claimed the KNVB Cup, the Johan Cruyff Shield, and shared the Eredivisie top scorer award. In 2023, PSG triggered a buy-back clause to re-sign him, then immediately loaned him to RB Leipzig for two seasons. He made that move permanent in January 2025, and in August 2025 he joined Tottenham Hotspur.

Simons represented the Netherlands at various youth levels. He received his first senior call-up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and made his debut during that tournament.

Simons was born in Amsterdam to Peggy Simons and former footballer Regillio Simons, both of Surinamese descent. His older brother Faustino (born 1996) also played football and shares the same birthday. When Xavi was three, the family moved to a village near Alicante, Spain, where he began playing at local club CD Thader.

In 2010, Simons joined Barcelona’s youth setup from CD Thader. He quickly became one of the club’s most highly rated young players, with Chelsea reportedly trying to sign him. Described as a prodigy, he joined agent Mino Raiola’s client group in 2017.

Unable to agree a new deal with Barcelona, Simons moved to PSG in July 2019 on a three-year contract reportedly worth up to €1 million annually. He made his professional debut on 10 February 2021 as a substitute for Julian Draxler in a 1–0 Coupe de France win over Caen. His Ligue 1 debut came two months later as a substitute in a 4–1 win against Strasbourg. On 19 May 2021, he won his first trophy, the Coupe de France.

Ahead of the 2021–22 season, manager Mauricio Pochettino included Simons in first-team preparations, but on 18 August he was sent back to train with the under-19s. He made his first start of the season on 19 December in a 3–0 cup win over Feignies Aulnoye. On 3 January 2022, he recorded his first senior assist, setting up Kylian Mbappé in a 4–0 cup win over Vannes. His first league appearance of that season came on 9 January as a 69th-minute substitute in a 1–1 draw with Lyon. On 31 January, he missed the decisive penalty in a 6–5 shoot-out loss to Nice in the Coupe de France round of 16. On 11 February, he made his first Ligue 1 start in a 1–0 win over Rennes. At season’s end, he won his first league title.

On 28 June 2022, Simons signed a five-year contract with PSV Eindhoven. Though initially expected to extend with PSG and go on loan, PSV rejected that arrangement. PSG negotiated a €6 million buy-back clause effective from 2023. Simons scored his first senior goal on his PSV debut, a 5–3 win over Ajax in the Johan Cruyff Shield on 30 July 2022.

In his first Eredivisie match on 7 August, he assisted Johan Bakayoko in a 4–1 win over Emmen. He made his European debut in Champions League qualifiers and scored his first European goal on 6 October in a 5–1 Europa League group-stage win at Zürich. In the 2023 KNVB Cup final, he assisted Thorgan Hazard’s goal as PSV beat Ajax on penalties. On the final day of the 2022–23 Eredivisie season, he scored a brace, including a stoppage-time winner, in a 2–1 victory over AZ, securing second place and a Champions League qualifying spot.

With 19 goals, he shared the top scorer award with Utrecht’s Anastasios Douvikas. Across all competitions, he finished with 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 games, and won two Player of the Month awards (August 2022 and March 2023). On 16 July 2023, PSV announced Simons had left their training camp to finalize a return to PSG.

On 19 July 2023, PSG triggered the €6 million buy-back clause, and Simons signed a four-year contract. He had the final say on the move.

Immediately after re-signing, PSG loaned Simons to RB Leipzig for the 2023–24 season. He took the number 20 shirt. He debuted on 12 August 2023 in a 3–0 DFL-Supercup win over Bayern Munich. On 25 August, he scored his first Bundesliga goal and added two assists in a 5–1 win over VfB Stuttgart. On 25 October, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–1 victory over Red Star Belgrade, earning man of the match honours.