Bryan Gil’s former Eibar manager is backing the La Liga starlet to thrive should he seal a big-money move to Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur, as he told Onda Cero.
After a prolonged managerial search which dragged the club’s reputation through the dirt, Tottenham are proving at last that they can, in fact, keep things under wraps when required.
Fabrizio Romano’s bombshell, delivered on Tuesday afternoon, was one nobody saw coming.
Talk about a bolt from the blue.
Nobody in North London was talking about Bryan Gil 48 hours ago. But, suddenly, one of the most compelling youngsters in Spanish football is packing his bags and heading to England, joining Spurs from Sevilla as part of a £22 million cash-plus-player deal involving Erik Lamela.
Will Sevilla’s Bryan Gil thrive at Spurs?
20-year-old Gil, a slaloming and supremely gifted left-winger, has only ever started one La Liga match in Sevilla colours.
A dazzling loan spell at Eibar during the 2020/21 campaign offered a tantalising glimpse into his vast potential, however, with coach Jose Luis Mendilibar full of praise for a man who shone in a side who would end the season suffering the heartbreak of relegation.
“Sometimes we think that skilled players are not well regarded in England. With the youth that Bryan Gil has, he is capable of everything,” said Mendilibar of a man who produced four goals and three assists during his time at Ipurua.
“He is brave, ready, he doesn’t get down on hard tackles. If he has the chance to go (to Tottenham), he’ll become a better footballer.”
Gil has been compared to a young Johan Cryuff – as much due to his mind-bending technical ability as his Lennon-esque haircut – while one of the most experienced and respected scouts in Spanish football sees a touch of the Neymars about the ‘Beatle from Barbate’.
“Right now he is Spain’s best footballer and I compare him with Neymar,” German Vaya Ballabriga, a man credited with discovering Andres Iniesta, said back in February.
“He can do certain things and has great versatility, as he can play at full-back, in the middle or on the left wing. It’s impressive.
“I have spoken with (Barcelona director) Raman Planes about him and he has Bryan Gil in mind.”
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