Xavi Simons Scout Report
Xavi Simons, the 21-year-old Dutch diamond who plies his trade at RB Leipzig, is lighting up the Bundesliga and turning heads around the world. Simons' skill set, for his age, is astonishingly vast with positional dynamism that allows him to contribute from multiple areas on the pitch.
Opening his toolbox, you find robust ball retention skills, standing unmatched amongst his peers, a trait that makes him the fulcrum for Leipzig's midfield. This, coupled with his sterling ball recovery ability, places him in the 75th percentile, forming a solid basis for his defensive contribution.
Translating defence into attacking opportunities, Simons demonstrates world-class progressive passing, sitting in the top 2.5% amongst his peer group. The impact is carried forward in his chance creation metrics as well, where he falls into the superior 90th percentile - an ability further reflected in his chart-topping assists per 90 minutes rate.
A surprising yet welcoming trait in Simons' game is his commendable progressive carrying, capturing a high percentile of 85%. His successful dribbles per 90 minutes also hit the 92nd percentile, highlighting his strength in one-on-one situations, making him a nightmare for defenders.
However, despite a decent goal threat and goal efficiency ranking, hovering around the middle with 60% and 50% respectively, Simons isn't a predominantly lethal finisher. His strength lies more within playmaking, which is reflected by his significantly higher xA per 90 minutes score compared to his xG per 90.
All in all, Xavi Simons is a tremendous talent with a well-rounded skill set, dominant within his role, and the kind of player to revolutionize a team's midfield dynamics. His growth trajectory suggests an incredibly promising future. With refinement in his finishing ability, he could become an all-around threat, capable of altering the outcome of any game singlehandedly and consistently.
