Tottenham

Spurs flop was dubbed the next Grealish when he signed, now he’s “utterly pointless” – opinion

Tottenham made a mistake by spending $22 million to get this player.

 

Since Ange Postecoglou’s appointment, it would be fair to argue that every signing made by Tottenham Hotspur this summer has either had an immediate impact or hinted to a very promising future.

Even players like Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski, who were both on loan before the current season but are now part of the team permanently, rank among the most crucial elements of a revived team.

Spurs have improved significantly during the heyday of Mauricio Pochettino, when they qualified for the Champions League just once in four seasons.

The Premier League team has had its fair share of bad transfers, but Bryan Gil’s was the most discouraging because the Spanish winger was expected to have a bright future but never really found his footing.

When did Tottenham sign Bryan Gil?

Gil was officially acquired by Tottenham from La Liga team Sevilla in 2021 for a reported sum of £22 million, with Erik Lamela moving in the opposite direction.

Even though the brilliant teenager was considered to be a significant upgrade over Lamela and has a set of qualities that could be developed into something wonderful, it was a very low-key summer after placing seventh in the 2020–21 campaign.

Gil, who was 20 years old when he arrived, had just finished the season with four goals and two assists each, having spent the majority of the season on loan with Eibar. He had also made 26 league starts, earning the praise of ESPN’s David Cartlidge, who called him a “potential star in the making.”

 

According to Sofascore, during his 26 starts, he completed 78% of his passes, averaged 1.8 critical passes per game, and won 55% of his dribbles, earning him an average match rating of 7.04.

Along with Ansu Fati and Pedri, Gil was one of Spain’s most sought-after prospects prior to joining the Lilywhites; his improvisational playing style even led to comparisons to Jack Grealish.

After scoring seven goals and dishing out 12 assists in his final season in the Midlands, Grealish was set to complete a British record £100 million transfer to Manchester City from his old club, Aston Villa. Former teammate Kieran Richardson called Grealish a “phenomenal talent” for the Lions.

 

The England international is in the top 14% for assists per 90 over the past year, the top 3% for advanced carries, and the top 4% for pass completion among offensive midfielders and wingers, according to FBref.

The comparisons to England’s starboy remained thanks to Gil’s flexibility and ability to light up games, but the 22-year-old has just played games since moving to the Premier League.

How good is Bryan Gil now?

Gil was sent out on loan to Valencia, a move that was deemed “utterly pointless” by Spurs expert John Wenham, very quickly after it became clear that he was not performing at the required level to hold down a regular starting position in Spurs’ first team. In fact, Gil had only made nine substitute appearances in the Premier League and had never started a game.

The ace’s technical prowess was undeniable, but there were legitimate worries about his physicality and his inability to affect games more than in brief bursts, thus it was deemed that his growth would be best served outside of the English top-flight.

Gil has only scored two goals in all competitions since joining Tottenham, both of which came while he was on loan with Sevilla last season. Despite being a member of Postecoglou’s squad at the moment, Gil has not yet made an appearance, though he did sit on the bench for the team’s most recent victory over Luton Town.

After missing the first few months of the season due to injury, the £40k per week star could be able to resurrect his stalled career in the upcoming months.

He is not up to par, though, and it seems like a lifetime has passed since this swift-weaving prodigy landed in London with the world at his feet.

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