Who is Bryan Gil? The new Tottenham winger likened to Neymar

Martin Macdonald

Updated: 26 Jul 2021 13:33 BST
4 min read

Who is Bryan Gil? The winger likened to Neymar and wanted by Barcelona and Real Madrid — © ProShots

Tottenham have completed the signing of young Spanish star Bryan Gil, with Erik Lamela heading to Sevilla as part of the deal.

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The Spanish national team and Spurs could have a future superstar on their hands.

Gil is a 20-year-old wideman who spent last season on loan at Eibar.

He was previously part of the youth setup at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan since the age of 11, having joined from local club Barbate FC in 2012.

Now, he has been confirmed as a Tottenham player.

What position does Bryan Gil play in?

In what is a bit of a rarity these days, Gil plays as a left-footed winger on the left flank. He is normally deployed further forward in an attacking midfield role but can also play deeper at left midfield. If asked, he can play as a wing-back, though this will be with a view to attack forward.

How old is Bryan Gil?

Gil was born in February of 2001, making him 20 years old.

What is Bryan Gil's height?

il is five-feet seven-inches tall.

How good is Bryan Gil?

After starring for Sevilla B, he made his first-team debut for Los Nervionenses in January of 2019 in a league match against Atletico Madrid when he came on as a substitute for Wissam Ben Yedder.

Within the 2018/19 campaign, Gil would go on to make 10 appearances, all off the bench.

In that run of games, he scored his first senior goal in a 5-0 rout of Rayo Vallecano which saw him become the first player born in the 21st Century to find the back of the net in La Liga.

To aid his development, he was sent out on loan to Eibar for the duration of the 2020/21 season, and has impressed for the Basque side.

Though there is undoubted talent there which can be seen in his performances, his numbers could be better, as he only has four goals and three assists in 26 starts in La Liga.

He completes a healthy 2.5 dribbles per game, but his talent this campaign is with his crossing, as his 8.2 successful crosses per 90 minutes is the sixth-best tally in the entire division for players who have played over 500 minutes.

Gil is a throwback of sorts as he plays as a traditional winger on the left wing, while he is also left-footed, meaning that he tends to go down the touchline rather than cutting inside, which provides further insight into his excellent crossing numbers.

Legendary Barcelona scout German Vaya, known as ‘Mani’, compared him to Neymar no less.

“Right now he is Spain’s best footballer and I compare him with Neymar,” Mani said on Cadena SER’s ‘Que T’hi Jugues’

“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."

What clubs are interested in Bryan Gil?

Both Barcelona and Real Madrid were previously linked with a move for Gil. The youngster currently has a €50m release clause which neither of the Clasico clubs are in a position to pay currently.

That has opened up the door for Tottenham to swoop in and look to broker a deal.

Spurs, too, won't be paying that release clause, but have offered €25m plus Eric Lamela, and that deal has now been confirmed.