Spurs turn to Xavi as Frank flounders: ‘best in the world’ whispers grow

Thomas Frank may have insisted he still has Tottenham’s backing, but after fewer than six months in the job and with form tailing off, that’s hardly the ringing endorsement fans wanted to hear. Three losses on the bounce and a solitary win in seven have Spurs lurching into a tricky Tuesday night at Newcastle, and another setback could shove their manager closer to the brink.

From Ange-ball to angst

Frank was hired to follow Ange Postecoglou’s thunderous, front-foot blueprint, but the transition has been choppy. Performances have turned blunt, results have dipped, and the identity looks muddled. There’s time yet for a course correction, but patience in N17 isn’t bottomless.

Xavi emerges as the top target

According to Fichajes, Spurs are actively weighing a change before the end of December if the slide isn’t arrested, and former Barcelona boss Xavi Hernández features prominently on their shortlist. Manchester United are said to be in the frame too, with Ruben Amorim again admired at Old Trafford.

By the numbers, Xavi’s record at Barça was impressive: across 142 matches he won 89 and lost only 29. The 45-year-old is currently unattached after leaving the Camp Nou and, per the report, wants a “stable project” next — something both Spurs and United believe they can offer. There’s been no direct contact yet, but the admiration is real.

Why Xavi makes sense for Spurs

Xavi’s pitch is control: neat angles, brave midfielders, and wide players stretching the pitch. It’s easy on the eye and, crucially, has delivered silverware — he steered Barça to the 2022–23 LaLiga title amid off-field chaos. His willingness to trust youth — handing Lamine Yamal a debut at 15 — would resonate with Spurs’ pathway too. If Tottenham genuinely want a reset that blends identity with ambition, Xavi is the marquee move that says this club is serious again.

It’s also a style that would flatter creative technicians and inverted wingers — the sort of profile Spurs have chased and cultivated in recent windows. Names like Xavi Simons are often cited as perfect fits for such a system; players of that ilk would likely thrive under Xavi’s structure and spacing.

The politics and the pressure

Before parting ways with him, Barça president Joan Laporta even hailed Xavi as the “best manager in the world” — lofty praise that still follows the Catalan. That kind of aura matters in a Premier League dressing room that needs a firm hand and a fresh spark.

For Frank, the brief remains simple: halt the skid, sharpen the attack, and steady the mood music in the dressing room. Newcastle away is a rotten fixture when you need a break, but turn that tide and the temperature drops. Fail to, and the whispers about Xavi will get louder — and fast.

What happens next

Spurs’ decision-makers will keep their powder dry while December plays out, but groundwork for alternatives is standard practice at this level. If you’re reading the tea leaves — or the odds on the best betting sites — Xavi is firmly in the conversation. Whether talks move from background planning to formal approaches hinges on results, starting on Tyneside.

Bottom line? The project needs clarity. Either Frank finds it quickly, or Tottenham will try to buy it — and few managers on the market carry Xavi’s blend of prestige, principles and proof.