There may have been sections of the Tottenham Hotspur support who were scratching their head at the news of the club's interest in former Chelsea flop, Timo Werner, with the German speedster having hardly been the most exciting capture on the surface.
The 27-year-old – who has signed on an initial loan deal from RB Leipzig – had previously faltered in the Premier League during his time at Stamford Bridge, scoring just ten top-flight goals across two full seasons, prior to being sent back to the Bundesliga.
That return to his homeland had also failed to pan out as the one-time Stuttgart man netted just twice in the first half of 2023/24 – and yet, the early evidence would suggest that Ange Postecoglou has pulled off something of a masterstroke, such has been Werner's fine start to life in Lilywhite.
Rather than being tasked with trying to emulate the likes of Harry Kane through the middle, the versatile asset has instead found a home for himself on the left flank in his embryonic Tottenham career, registering two assists across his first three league outings.
That early impact has led to praise from pundit Jamie O'Hara, with the former Spurs midfielder stating that Werner has been a "good signing" for the club and that Postecoglou can "get the best out of him", despite his prior woes in west London.
With Heung-min Son soon set to return from the Asian Cup later this month, the former Celtic boss now has real competition on the flanks in the form of the South Korean star, Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and Werner – a pool of talent that could help fire them toward a Champions League berth.
That strength in depth, however, should prove bad news for one promising talent at N17, with Bryan Gil seemingly needing to find a new home over the summer, despite opting to stay put in the winter window.
January interest in Bryan Gil
It is telling of Gil's woes that in the previous two January windows he has been shipped out on loan back to his native Spain, with that epitomising just what a dismal deal it has been for all concerned since his arrival from Sevilla back in 2021.
That £25m capture – which also saw Erik Lamela head in the other direction – looks to be a real costly mistake as far as Spurs are concerned, with the playmaker having quickly been sent back to La Liga to join Valencia in 2022, prior to making a return to Andalusia a year later.
As pundit Noel Whelan stated, sending the youngster back to a league that he has already impressed in appeared "utterly pointless", hence the intrigue regarding a potential move within the Premier League last month.
The suggestion late in the window was that Brighton and Hove Albion were keen to sign the 22-year-old on loan until the end of the season, with the two clubs having even held talks regarding that potential temporary switch.
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As it proved, however, the four-cap international reportedly shunned that interest amid his desire to stay in north London, although it remains to be seen how much game time he will go on to get this season, particularly amid the signing of Werner.
Bryan Gil's season by numbers
Since turning down the Seagulls' advances, Gil has been described as a "fantastic young player" by his manager, with Postecoglou hinting that the 5 foot 9 dynamo has largely not been helped due to injuries this season.
That being said, when the £40k-per-week talent has featured of late he hasn't exactly done much to impress, with Sky Sport pundit Jamie Carragher brutally stating that the winger "looked like a boy playing in a man’s game", after he was hooked at half time in the 2-2 draw with Manchester City.
That outing at the Etihad was one of just two league starts that the left-footer has earned so far this season, having also struggled to make an impact off the bench with no goals or assists in 11 games in all competitions.
As Postecoglou noted, injuries have been a factor in derailing his progress, although there is a nagging feeling that Gil simply struggles to impact games, having created zero 'big chances' and averaged just 0.3 key passes per game in the league in 2023/24.
Part of a group of players whom writer Mitch Fretton described as "unwanted" at the club last summer, the peripheral figure also averages just 0.4 tackles and interceptions per game, with the defensive part of his game also lacking.
How Bryan Gil compares to Timo Werner
It is quite remarkable that in just four appearances for Spurs to date, Werner has already matched Gil's record of two assists – despite the fact that the Spaniard has now played 42 games for the club.
While there have been stints out on loan, in over three years at N17, Gil has also failed to score so far in all competitions, with the north Londoners having hardly seen any return on their rather sizeable £25m investment.
It is not as if the Brighton target has particularly ripped it up during his time in Spain either, his best returns seeing him score four goals and contribute four assists in 29 games for Eibar, while providing just nine goal contributions in 45 games for Sevilla.
Werner, meanwhile, chalked up 160 goals and assists in just 213 games across two spells at Leipzig, while also actually boasting a solid record for the Blues with 44 goal involvements in just 89 games.
Werner
Gil
0.27
0.12
0.21
0.18
2.99
2.62
2.46
2.80
3.95
3.15
1.23
1.98
6.04
3.38
9.73
9.39
The Champions League winner's superior threat can also be seen by the fact that he ranks in the top 11% among his European peers for touches in attacking penalty area per 90, while Gil, by contrast, ranks in just the bottom 34% in that regard.
With Werner already making an immediate impact under Postecoglou, it is hard to see young Gil being able to replicate such a resurgence over the coming months, with the eventual outcome likely to be a much-needed exit this summer.