Who is Bryan Gil? The exciting Spanish winger Tottenham traded Lamela for

It was only a matter of time before Tottenham began to invest in the squad this summer. Even if a lack of Champions League football will impact their recruitment, Spurs are expected to be active in the market as they seek to rebuild the squad. Headed by director of football Fabio Paratici, the next era of the north London side is in its infancy as the Italian looks to bring in players to fulfill the needs of head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. 

One of those is young Spanish winger Bryan Gil. It was a move that caught many off guard, with Erik Lamela moving the opposite direction to Sevilla, and the Argentine's exit spells an end to Spurs' 'Magnificent Seven' from 2013. In Gil, Spurs are bringing in an exciting young winger who isn't afraid to try and beat a man. 

67 successful dribbles was the fifth best return in La Liga last season for an Eibar side that finished bottom in Spain's top tier. Starting predominantly from the left, Gil is more than capable of ghosting past an opponent, getting to the byline and putting the ball into the box for the strikers. A total of 29 accurate crosses, excluding corners, was the fifth best in Spain's top tier last term. 

In a world where managers prefer their wingers to cut infield from their starting flank to allow the full-backs to provide the width on the overlap, Gil is a throwback to a bygone era and his old school wingplay approach adds to his unpredictability, an asset that Spurs can utilise to great effect. 

The decision to allow him to leave will disappoint Sevilla fans, but Gil is not in favour under Julen Lopetegui, who prefers his wingers to cut inside and go for goal. Factor in that the 20-year-old has just two years left to run on his current contract at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, and the €25m raised from Gil's exit, coupled with the arrival of Lamela, means it's a deal that suits all parties. 

Lamela was part of the deadwood that needed shipping from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Argentine understandably has a legion of admirers among the north London fanbase. He isn't afraid to ruffle the feathers of opponents and he is capable of mind blowing moments of skill, his Rabona goal in the North London Derby at the Emirates Stadium last season a case in point. 

The injury prone 29-year-old has just a year left to run on his current contract with Spurs and with no indication that they were prepared to extend that stay, getting Lamela off the books and acquiring one of the most exciting wing talents in Spain is a win for Spurs. Given his age, Gil is far from the finished product and there is work to be done to ensure he develops into one of the finest Spanish wingers of his generation. 

While he is capable to getting the better of his man, a dribble success rate of 55.4% suggests he needs to improve his decision making and learn to better release the ball than try and do too much while in possession. However, having been fouled 1.9 times per 90 in La Liga last season, opponents pin-pointed Gil as Eibar's dangerman to sought to stop him by any means necessary in order to limit his impact. 

This clearly didn't dent the youngster's confidence as he scored four goals and provided three assists for Eibar. Granted, this many not be the best return on paper, but given Eibar scored just 29 goals in 38 league matches last season, it translates to Gil having had a direct hand in 24.1% of their total goals in 2020/21. 

Off the ball, Gil is prepared to give it as good as he gets, too. Opponents may take to fouling Gil to minimise his impact, however the Spain international is willing to get stuck in for the good of his team to help regain possession. 1.1 tackles per 90 for Eibar last season is a respectable return, so too is a tackle success rate of 62.2% for an attacking player. 

As is a given with any player his age, Gil is a diamond in the rough and the edges to his game need to be refined, while the physical side to his game needs work if he is to adjust to the rigours of the Premier League, yet the Spaniard has the tools to become an exciting player for Spurs, be it from the outset or as an impact player off the bench.