A loan move to Tottenham from Real Madrid seems to be on the cards for Gareth Bale, with the Spanish giants thought to be willing to pay a part of his massive £600 000 a week wages to make the move happen.
His agent Jonathan Barnett told the BBC on Wednesday: “Gareth is closer to leaving Madrid than at any time in last seven years. We are still negotiating. We shall see how it goes.”
Jose Mourinho’s side are close to bringing Bale back to the Premier League, with the 31-year-old preferring a Tottenham return over interest from Manchester United.
The Manchester side were reportedly courting Bale as a stop-gap measure as frustration grew at not being able to reach a deal with Borussia Dortmund for Jadon Sancho.
Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett, all but confirmed that the move on when he said last night: “Gareth still loves Spurs. We are talking. It’s where he wants to be.”
Bale, now 31 and still one of the highest paid players in the game, joined Madrid from Tottenham for a then-record transfer fee of €100million in 2013.
Zidane granted him just 1207 minutes of La Liga and Champions League football last season, continuing a fractious relationship between coach and forward.
While Bale now seems a possible target for the London side, Mourinho has spoken of his desire to strengthen his side in other areas of the pitch. Tottenham are also said to be close to securing the signature of left-back Sergio Reguilon on a full transfer.
“I want, I need a striker,” Mourinho said last week. “But I want to make it very, very clear that the club knows that I need a striker and they also want a striker. Are we going to get one? I believe so, I honestly believe so. The team needs it for the balance of the squad.”
“I know we have one of the best strikers in the world. The best striker in England. But I don’t like the word ‘back-up’. A squad is a squad. A striker can play with Harry Kane.
“A striker who comes here won’t be filling the back-up situation. It’s not to support us in such a difficult season. It’s also to try and play. And why not play with Harry?”