Spurs turn to Xavi as Frank feels the heat after Forest fiasco

Let’s not sugar-coat it: Tottenham’s 3-0 collapse at Nottingham Forest was as bleak as it gets, and it’s lit a fire under the boardroom seats in N17. With Spurs languishing 11th after 16 league games and just 10 wins in 25 across all competitions under Thomas Frank, the hierarchy are eyeing a bold pivot — and the name at the top of the whiteboard is Xavi Hernández.

Xavi on the radar — the long-term play

Reports in Spain suggest Spurs feel the side lacks identity and consistency, and that progress under Frank has stalled just six months in. Enter Xavi: available after leaving Barcelona at the end of last season, rated internally for a clear philosophy and real authority in the dressing room. Crucially, the club see this as a significant change geared towards the future, not a short-term sticking plaster.

Xavi’s credentials are undeniable. He won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup in 2022/23, posting 91 victories in 143 matches as Barça boss. He’s already rebuffed several overtures — including an approach from Al-Ittihad in September — and has been lauded in some quarters as the “best manager in the world.” As a player he was a Catalan institution: 17 years at Barcelona, four Champions Leagues, eight La Liga titles. The pedigree is there; the question is whether Spurs want that brand of possession-first control to reshape their identity mid-season.

Frank’s case for time

Frank, for his part, insists this isn’t something you fix with a quick twist of a screwdriver. Paraphrasing his post-Forest message: give any manager no time and no one can turn it around — this job won’t be solved overnight. He arrived in July, replacing the sacked Ange Postecoglou in the wake of a Europa League final win over Manchester United, and he’s been clear the rebuild needs patience. But patience is a hard sell when performances like Sunday’s roll in and the table paints a mid-table picture.

What happens next

Spurs host Liverpool on Saturday, 20 December — a measuring-stick fixture that could tilt the debate one way or the other. If the club truly covet a defined, front-foot identity, Xavi ticks the box. The risk is obvious: a mid-campaign reset demands rapid buy-in and flawless communication. Still, with the window looming, the timing might suit a club determined to set a new course before spring.

One thing’s certain: the mood music has changed. Tottenham are weighing a serious move, and Xavi is firmly in the frame. Whether it’s Frank given the runway or the Spaniard handed the keys, the next few weeks will tell us what Spurs want to be — and how quickly they want to get there. For fans keeping an eye on the markets ahead of Liverpool, you can compare prices at the best betting sites — but don’t be shocked if the odds shift with every whisper from the boardroom.