Bryan Gil has kept his cards close to his chest when asked about a potential loan move this month, with the winger stating that he is fully focussed on giving his all at Tottenham every day.
In light of the injuries that Antonio Conte has had to deal with in his forward line, the Italian has handed Gil three consecutive starts against Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Portsmouth.
The Spaniard has displayed his quality, particularly impressing in the 4-0 win over Palace last week, picking up his first Premier League assist and playing a part in the build-up to two other goals.
Football.London’s Alasdair Gold reported last week that Gil is now ‘less likely’ to be loaned out following his display at Selhurst Park while Estadio Deportivo claimed over the weekend that Conte is trying to convince the winger to stay amid interest from Valencia, Sevilla, Real Sociedad, Cadiz and Mallorca.
When asked about his future, the Spurs star has now told Football.London: “Nothing has changed because I focus on the day-to-day, not the future. You never know what can happen. I’m focused on the present, on working, and if I get the chance to play I have to capitalise on that.”
When pushed on a possible move away from the club this month, he added: “I’m just focused on the present now. Whatever happens, happens. I’m focused on being here and playing here.”
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The 21-year-old admitted that he has worked hard over the last 18 months to get to adapt to the demands of the Premier League.
He continued: “In the end, everyone needs time to adapt. Now is when I’m getting some more minutes and getting the chance to be more of a prominent player. I’ve worked hard for this moment to arrive. I hope I’ll keep getting minutes on the pitch here and that I can keep improving.”
When asked about what Conte has said to him, the Spaniard responded: “He spoke a bit about the match generally but nothing specific for me.
“But I’m getting more opportunities now, he is giving me minutes and I have to repay his faith. I have to show he can trust me when I get those chances and show that I can play well.”
The former Sevilla man revealed that adapting to the physical demands of English football has been his hardest challenge, and insisted that he is already seeing the benefits of bulking up.
“The physical aspect is something I struggled with in my first year”, Gil said. “But I’ve got my head down and worked with the physical coaches and I can notice the difference. I think on the pitch you can see the difference as well.
“I think there is a big difference [between Premier League and La Liga]. I think in that area I suffered here quite a lot in the first few months and last year. But I just tried to get better every day, it’s not something you can change overnight. It takes time and I think I’m getting there.
“If you want to change physically you have to change everything, your diet, you have to sleep well and you have to put the time in the gym. But it’s difficult. I’m a slim guy and it’s tough to put on lots of weight but I’m getting there little by little.”
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If Tottenham do sign another winger/forward during the current transfer window as they are expected to, Gil is not likely to get any game time at all when Richarlison and Kulusevski are back fit. Perhaps Spurs should be exploring the possibility of loaning the 21-year-old out to a Premier League club so that he can continue adapting to English football.
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