Tottenham are reportedly in talks to sign Gareth Bale on loan from Real Madrid, seven years after he departed London for the Spanish capital.
The 31-year-old spent six years at White Hart Lane where he morphed from an unrated left-back into a blistering forward before completing a then world-record transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013.
Despite winning several trophies at the Bernabeu, Bale has found himself at loggerheads with Zinedine Zidane, leading to his exclusion from the first-team and his woes were further compounded when the club blocked a proposed move to China at the last moment in December.
He has been told he is free to leave the club and it would be in all parties’ best interests if he was to depart the Bernabeu and it appears that former club Tottenham could help end his Real Madrid nightmare.
Jose Mourinho is eager to strengthen his side after falling off course last season and he has identified Bale as the go-to man.
Gareth Bale on Manchester United radar after Sancho move hits impasse. By @JamieJackson___ https://t.co/eWIfn9rQIY
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) September 15, 2020
Manchester United have also been linked with the Wales international but it appears that Spurs have usurped the Red Devils and are now in advanced talks with Los Blancos over a loan transfer.
Details of the deal suggest that midfielder Dele Alli would head the other way, while Madrid would also subsidize 50% of Bale’s wages.
The forward would relish a return to north London, as it was with Spurs that he became a household name under Harry Redknapp, starring in the club’s maiden Champions League appearance.
In his time with Tottenham, Bale made 203 appearances in all competitions, scoring 55 goals, while he was also twice named PFA Player of the Year.
Barnett: ”Gareth still Loves Spurs, it’s where he wants to be”
Laying further credence to the proposed move from Real Madrid to Tottenham is the statement of Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett.
When addressing the issue, the super agent – who has been Bale’s long-term representative and facilitated the record-breaking move in 2013 – said on Tuesday:
”Gareth still loves Spurs,” he told BBC Sports Wales. ”We are talking {Spurs, Real and Bale’s camp} It’s where he wants to be.”
The 70-year-old had earlier insisted that his client was ‘going nowhere’ and would see out his contract at Madrid but recent developments have seen him change his stance.
Gareth Bale’s potential return to Tottenham would be welcome news for fans of the club, having had not much to celebrate in recent times and the former Southampton man still maintains a very cordial relationship with White Hart Lane supporters.
Further good news comes in the form of a proposed transfer for full-back Sergi Reguilon and reports suggest that Tottenham are considering a £27.5m bid for the 23-year-old.
The Spanish international spent the last year on loan at Sevilla and has emerged as a target for Manchester United but he reportedly prefers a move to London, with his spot in the Madrid team not guaranteed.
The left-back position has been a problematic one for Tottenham in recent years, with neither Danny Rose nor Ben Davies impressing and Reguilon’s arrival would help strengthen the side.
If he completes the move, it would continue a long-standing relationship between Real Madrid and Tottenham, with several players including Luka Modric, Rafael Van der Vaart, and Gareth Bale having made moves between the sides in the past.
