Tottenham boss Thomas Frank feels there is a “very good comparison” between Xavi Simons and Florian Wirtz, with the Spurs and Liverpool new boys struggling – and the stats show why that is.

Spurs spent over ￡50million on Simonsin the summer, and he’s so far returned one assist. Liverpool, meanwhile, spent ￡115million on Wirtz, and his tally is also just a single assist.

Both men were signed after having success in the Bundesliga – Simons was directly involved in 17 goals in the German top flight last season, while Wirtz had 23 direct goal contributions.

Tottenhamboss Frank feels the struggles both are going through in adapting to England are similar.

He said:?“I think that’s a very good question. Also, a very good comparison with Wirtz, who is also a very good player, just like Xavi.

“A very good player coming into a couple of things – new country, new club, new city. You just need to settle in, and it is part of it.

“We are all getting judged every game. But we also need to see the little bit bigger perspective and see it over time.

“I always look for glimpses and bits and pieces we are working at. So, for example, Xavi, I think there were some good bits. I worked with him and asked him to be more arriving in the box, which, when I looked back at the game, he did.

“Was there a big eye-catching moment? No, but there were good glimpses. So I think it’s constantly going a little bit in the right direction.”

The similarities between the pair don’t just stop at their struggles, but that both are coming from systems in the Bundesliga in which they were the main men.

In the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig, Simons floated where he wanted and was the focal point in the attack, largely drifting out towards the left to pick the ball up.

READ: Tottenham’s mini defensive crisis continues but Spurs ‘delighted’ with new appointment

As per SofaScore, he averaged 68 touches per game and two key passes. In the Premier League for Tottenham, that’s down to 41.2 touches per game – largely coming closer to the left flank than he’s used to being – and 1.2 key passes.

Wirtz’s numbers have dropped markedly at Liverpool, he was touching the ball on average 73.4 times a game at Bayer Leverkusen and providing 1.8 key passes – and that’s down to 46.8 in the Premier League, though he’s actually making 1.9 key passes per game, suggesting the attackers aren’t doing with the chances what they should be.

Were he getting more touches, though, there’d be more opportunities for Liverpool’s attack to finish off what he’s providing.

Wirtz is also having to drop deeper and spread himself thinner, picking the ball up in various areas across the width of the pitch, rather than his preferred area towards the left of the final third when he was playing in Germany.

Both men clearly have the ability and the potential to come good in new surroundings, but that they are no longer the main men is not helping them, and it’s hard to gain that status with big stars around taking the touches they are used to having for themselves.

READ MORE: Hoddle feels Tottenham new boy ‘needs time’ as he recalls Wenger fears at Monaco after his own move