Signed by Spurs as a youngster from Juventus, the Spanish winger struggled to force his way into the first eleven and has been farmed out on loan at regular intervals.
Yago started his career in the youth ranks at Real Madrid, before moving to Barcelona where he spent seven years coming through their system at La Masia before being granted one game in the B team, where he scored a goal, but Juventus made moves to take the Under-20 international to Italy. Yago suffered similar difficulties in breaking through there and was put out on loan to Villarreal B,
Although performing well
in the Spurs XI and Under-21 sides, he was given time at
Southampton (on the same day he was signed permanently,
but he failed to get more than half a game) in 2012,
then returning to Spain for a spell at Almeria in 20113,
who he helped to promotion to La Liga and then out to La
Liga side Rayo Vallecano for the 2013-14 season.
Stockily built, but with good pace and a trick to beat
defenders, Yago had the ability to find himself in the
penalty area, where he could finish well to score a good
ratio of goals in the games he played.
The rationale behind his signing is hard to work out.
Buying him as a youngster made good business, as
initially he came on loan from Juventus, but signed
permanently within a few months, but then Spurs failed
to use him in the first team on a regular basis, playing
only a few matches in cup competitions and the odd
substitute appearance in the league.
Yago looked a useful player, but his frustration at not
breaking through into the senior squad lead another loan
spell in Spain in 2013-14, before featuring on
Tottenham's North American tour, where he looked sharp,
but he was subsequently sold to Genoa.