Bryan Gil is expected to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer, but the winger has now confessed that he should have departed the club two years ago, but the Lilywhites went back on their word and forced him to stay.
There was plenty of excitement at Spurs when they acquired Gil from Sevilla back in 2021, with the attacker arriving with a reputation as one of the best young talents in Spanish football.
However, it simply has not worked out for the 24-year-old in North London, with the winger struggling to get a look-in under successive managers.
The Spain international has had three different loan spells at Valencia, Sevilla and Girona since, and with just one year left on his contract, Gil has already that he will be leaving Tottenham this summer.
Bryan Gil reveals Tottenham blocked his transfer back in 2023
The former Sevilla man has now confessed that he came very close to leaving the Lilywhites following his loan spell at Valencia, just as Ange Postecoglou came in through the door.
He explained that a deal to take him back to Mestalla was practically done, but the Premier League side went back on their word and forced him to stay.
Gil told Super Deporte (as relayed by Sport Witness) about the events of two years ago: “I didn’t decide to stay.
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“In fact, I was going to go back to Valencia for the whole year. In the negotiations, they told me it was practically a done deal. Tottenham needed a few days to close it, but it was 99% done, they had already spoken to the sporting director.
“But at the last minute, they told me no, that I had to stay. It wasn’t on my part that I wanted to stay, I wanted to leave and they didn’t let me. I had already packed my bags, I was 99% sure I was going to leave.”
Bryan Gil’s future at Tottenham Hotspur
It has been reported over recent months that Girona will not activate their €15m (£12.5m) option to buy Gil, which means that Tottenham will have to look for potential suitors for the attacker this window.
Spanish outlets have suggested that Villarreal are ready to make a move for Gil, with the Yellow Submarine sensing an opportunity to land the winger on the cheap.