Former Tottenham Hotspur target Jack Grealish is a huge name in English football, coming through the Aston Villa academy, before captaining his boyhood club to promotion back to the Premier League during the 2018/19 season.
The midfielder amassed a total of 213 first-team appearances for the West Midlands outfit, making his breakthrough during a dark time for the club after multiple embarrassing performances on the pitch which resulted in their drop into England’s second tier.
However, his career could’ve been significantly different had he made the move to Spurs during the summer transfer window back in 2018, with the club reportedly making an offer for Grealish after their failure to win promotion from the Championship.
He didn’t exactly set the division alight, registering nine goal contributions in his 30 league appearances during the 2017/18 season, but it was enough for then-boss Mauricio Pochettino to lodge a £20m offer for the Englishman’s services.
However, Villa decided to reject it, standing firm on their £40m valuation of their homegrown talent, with Spurs subsequently missing out on a deal to sign the talented ace.
He would have undoubtedly provided added quality to the North London outfit, potentially transforming the forward line alongside Heung-min Son and Harry Kane - but ultimately it wasn’t meant to be.
Just a couple of years later, Grealish would make a big transfer away from Villa Park, but it wasn’t to join Spurs, subsequently strengthening one of their Premier League rivals in the process.
Jack Grealish’s time at Manchester City
After securing Villa’s survival on the final day of the 2019/20 season, Grealish would star in his final season at Villa Park, registering 16 goals and assists, leading to a huge transfer to join Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s side forked out £100m for his services - a record for an English player at the time before Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal - with the talent undoubtedly improving City’s already potent frontline.
Since his move in the summer of 2021, the winger has often struggled to cement his place as a regular, often having to settle for a place on the bench and potentially making a difference as an impact player.
His debut campaign at the Etihad saw him feature 39 times in all competitions, registering just six goals - a disappointing return after such a hefty fee was splashed out for his services.
However, it would be his best goalscoring season to date in Manchester, with the 29-year-old only notching a total of five and three goals respectively in his last two campaigns under Guardiola.
Despite his recent lack of goalscoring form at club level, he’s been given a chance to shine internationally under temporary England boss Lee Carsley - demonstrating that he’s a player who needs that belief and confidence in him to succeed.
The former Villa star has grabbed two goals in his three appearances under the interim manager, matching the tally he produced under former boss Gareth Southgate, for whom he featured 36 times.
Whilst he’s undoubtedly struggled to live up to the pressure of his £100m price tag, Grealish has still demonstrated that he’s capable of starring at the top level, having an abundance of quality in attacking areas.
Spurs will undoubtedly be kicking themselves for being unable to secure a deal for the winger a handful of years ago, with his rise nothing short of sensational and a credit to him for his determination to succeed.
However, after missing out on a deal for Grealish, many people at Spurs thought they landed their own version of the Englishman following the addition of one talent back in the summer of 2021.
The man who could have been Spurs’ own Grealish
Back in the summer of 2021, Spurs completed a deal to sign winger Bryan Gil from Spanish side Sevilla - with the Spaniard having real potential to succeed in the Premier League after his stint in LaLiga.
He made his debut at the age of just 17, enduring various loan spells away from his boyhood club, before moving to North London on a permanent deal.
Spurs forked out £21.6m for his services, with Argentine winger Erik Lamela moving to Sevilla as part of the transfer to take Gil to England’s capital.
Ahead of his transfer, The Mirror’s European Football Writer, Colin Millar, dubbed the Spaniard as a similar player to the aforementioned Grealish, with his direct dribbling ability comparable to that of the £100m man.
However, his move hasn’t lived up to expectations, only making 43 appearances for the Lilywhites three years after his big-money permanent transfer to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, also failing to score a single goal in the process.
He’s subsequently been on three separate loan spells away from the club in recent times, joining former side Sevilla as well as Valencia, before linking up with Girona for the current campaign.
As a result of his lack of impact during his time in the Premier League, Gil has seen his market value plummet, further highlighting the club’s mistake in signing the 23-year-old.
Bryan Gil’s market value in 2024
Three years on from his move to Spurs, the winger has failed to pull up any trees, often looking below the level required for England’s top flight when featuring for the club - leading to his various loan spells.
His current stint will see him feature in the Champions League with Girona, giving him the platform to impress and potentially resurrect his disastrous last couple of years.
However, up to now, it appears he’s been unable to impress, with his market value way below the £21.6m fee that the North London side paid for his services a handful of years ago.
Gil is now only valued at £6m as per Football Transfers, a drop of over £15m since his transfer, with the club desperately needing to make a decision on his long-term future at the end of his current temporary stint away from the club.
It’s clear that after various spells in the first-team boss Ange Postecoglou doesn’t see the Spaniard as a member of his squad, which could lead to a permanent sale in the summer of 2025.
Gil currently has a contract in North London until June 2026, with next summer potentially the last chance to recoup as much of his transfer fee as possible.
Whilst his potential was there for all to see after his time at Sevilla, his move to Spurs simply hasn’t worked out for either party. From potentially being a £100m star in the making, the club have lost a lot of money on the youngster.
Given his recent slump in form and value, Daniel Levy and Co may have been better off completing a deal for Grealish when they had the chance in 2018, with the club left to rue their decision and forever wonder what could’ve been for the Englishman in North London.