Bryan Gil is crucial to Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tottenham rebuild

Tottenham are closing in on a move for Bryan Gil and he’s just the energetic forward Spurs need to thrive under Nuno Espirito Santo. 

Bryan Gil is a relatively new name on Tottenham’s transfer radar but Spurs fans should be very excited about the prospect of adding him to Nuno Espirito Santo’s attacking corps. He’s tailor-made to thrive at Spurs under their new Portuguese boss.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Gil is heading to Tottenham in a deal that will see Erik Lamela plus £25 million heading to Sevilla. That’s a steep price for Spurs to pay this summer given how severely their transfer budget has been impacted by depressed club revenues due to the global pandemic. It’s still a deal that makes complete sense for Fabio Paratici and the transfer brain trust at the Premier League club.

It may take the 20-year-old some time to adjust to the rigors of English football, but it’s hard to envision a better stylistic fit for what the club appeared to lack heading into the 2021-22 campaign. Gil gives Tottenham’s new boss the exact qualities he looks for in an attacking player.

Why is Bryan Gil perfect for Nuno Espirito Santo?

Assuming Harry Kane stays put (and healthy) it’s clear that Tottenham have a centre forward racking up goals at a prodigious rate. The presence of Heung-Min Son on one wing also gives Santo and his coaching staff a great supporting goal scorer.

The one thing missing from that duo is a player who can balance things out on the opposite side of the pitch. Santo’s system relies on a hard-working runner who can carry the ball past the opposition via one-on-one battles to operate at a high level.

One look at Gil’s FBref.com profile reveals him to be exceptional in that regard. He’s in the 88th percentile in Europe for progressive carries of the ball and the 89th percentile when it comes to dribbles completed. Both of those qualities help him rate highly in the shots created category as well.

Spurs cannot afford to let opposing defenses continue to focus on Kane and Son exclusively next season. The club’s supporting cast simply didn’t get the job done last year. That’s why adding a potential equal to Son on the opposite wing is such a big potential win for Tottenham.

There’s no guarantee that Gil is going to come in and succeed, but everything about his profile suggests he’s the perfect addition for Santo’s rebuild. Tottenham’s new boss still has plenty of work to do to rebuild his club’s shaky defence, but adding Gil could make Spurs’ front line devastating once again.