And, just like that, window of opportunity slammed shut on Bryan Gil’s fingers. It took Dejan Kulusevski just two minutes to mark his Tottenham Hotspur return with an assist – brilliantly setting up Harry Kane’s consolation strike in Sunday’s 2-1 home defeat to Liverpool – while pushing the spindly Spaniard down Antonio Conte’s pecking order once again.
Gil made his only appearance of the Premier League season during Kulusevski’s injury-enforced absence absence.
And, with the silky Swede unavailable, Conte turned to Gil instead when Spurs needed an impact off the bench during the Champions League group stages; the £21 million signing from Eibar catching the eye with his stylish snake hips, giving the Frankfurt defenders a nasty case of twisted blood while drawing a penalty during October’s 3-2 win in North London.
But, with Kulusevski back and desperate to make up for lost time, Gil once again found himself restricted to a watching brief this weekend, Conte opting against introducing a player of his lock-picking abilities even when Spurs were trying to turn their dominance into something more tangible against a Liverpool side hanging onto a slender need by their fingernails.
And with reports in Italy claiming that Spurs have already made contact with Atalanta president Antonio Percassi regarding a potential £25 million January deal for Ukraine playmaker Ruslan Malinovskyi, a couple of fleeting cameos off the bench may be the closest Gil ever comes to securing a place in Conte’s plans (Calciomercato).
Tottenham eye Ruslan Malinovskyi with Bryan Gil’s future uncertain
Conte reportedly sees Malinovskyi, an ‘extraordinary’ talent with a fearsome left boot, as someone capable of competing with Kulusevski and co for a spot out wide, rather than an orthodox attacking midfielder (Corriere Bergamo). The 30-year-old is versatile, hard-working and experienced; ticking plenty of boxes for a coach who prefers proven talent over raw youngsters. Malinovskyi is taller and stronger than Gil, and should be able to cope with the physicality of the Premier League. What’s more, since the beginning of 2019/20, he has provided an impressive 45 goals and 42 assists in all competitions.
If Gil is a work in progress – a player who would have been far better suited to life under Mauricio Pochettino – then Malinovskyi the finished article. Very much the typical Conte signing; someone capable of making an immediate impact on and off the pitch, while bringing with him a winners’ mentality from his time at an Atalanta side who qualified for the Champions League in two of his three seasons in Bergamo.
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