Written by Adam McGroarty (@AdamMcGroarty)
It’s actually happening – after a seven-year spell at Real Madrid, Gareth Bale is set for a spectacular return to Tottenham.
For years, the Welsh winger has been tipped to return to north London as his relationship with Los Blancos’ boss Zinedine Zidane fell apart, but a deal always seemed out of Spurs’ reach.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has always been reportedly interested in the idea of seeing Bale in a lilywhite shirt once again, but the Welshman’s astronomical wages made any potential move seem like a mere fantasy.
However, Madrid’s willingness to get Bale off their books with two years remaining on his reported 650k-per-week contract altered the complexity of the deal entirely.
The La Liga giants became willing to pay a large portion of Bale’s wages in order to facilitate a move away from the club, making a potential move the Premier League much more realistic.
After some suggestion Manchester United were looking at the winger as an alternative to Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, Tottenham moved extremely quickly to open talks with Real Madrid during negotiations for left-back Sergio Reguilon.
With the La Liga champions paying the majority of Bale’s salary, a spectacular move back to Tottenham is on the verge of completion in what is reportedly a loan transfer.
At the age of 31, Bale is still plagued by the injury issues he had during his spell at Spurs, so there are questions over how he will fare considering the intensity of the Premier League – but his willingness to make the move tells the whole story.
The ex-Tottenham man could easily have stayed in Madrid basking in the scorching sun and enjoying his time on the picturesque golf courses, but instead he is up for the challenge to return to the world’s most demanding league.
In the seven years Bale was at the Santiago Bernabeu, Tottenham are still without a piece of silverware. In fact, Bale was actually at Spurs when the club won their most recent trophy – the Carling Cup in 2008.
With serial-winner Jose Mourinho now at the helm, the Portuguese manager is desperate to bring titles to Tottenham, and Bale’s experiences in Madrid could go some way to helping Spurs do just that.
The mouthwatering prospect of seeing Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane and Gareth Bale form Tottenham’s attacking trio will get Spurs fans excited for the season, even after such a dismal display against Everton on the opening day.
But it’s a move that won’t just keep the fans happy – the squad at Hotspur Way needs a lift after a below-par campaign last season, and one man in particular would welcome the return of the Welshman.
Harry Kane called on the club to match his ambitions this summer, once again expressing his desire to win major trophies with Spurs. The sight of one of the world’s best walking through the door following a trophy-laden spell in Madrid could make the English striker believe good times are ahead for Mourinho’s men.