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.