David Ginola recently tipped Gareth Bale to be one of the very best in the world. The former Tottenham winger also said that Spurs would struggle to keep the Welshman at the club in the future. Both may be true, but with Barcelona reportedly interested in the player, it’s extremely difficult to see a successful partnership between the player and La Liga club in the future.

That’s not to suggest that Bale isn’t good enough for Barcelona, yet that also shouldn’t force the assumption that he is; plenty of the world’s best are not necessarily right fits for Barcelona. And that’s the main point: you can’t always pair a good team and a good player and expect it to stick.

Gareth Bale has terrorised defences both domestically and in Europe, with his elevation to stardom starting in that game against Inter Milan and specifically Douglas Maicon. Not a far shout to suggest the Brazilian right-back has not been the same since. Tottenham were said to have been playing the best football in England last season. It was quick, it was rampaging and it excited plenty of people. But it was very traditional of the English game; it was two wide players using their pace to their advantage with a target man in the centre. Obviously there was more to it, but that was where Gareth Bale shone.

He was used from a central position as well, and there may have been some reason to belief that he could make the successful transition from a wide player to a central player. But his natural game is suited to having plenty of room to run into on the flanks and using his pace and strength to beat his opponents.

Again, not to suggest that Bale is not quite good enough, but where do Barcelona fit in?

Bale is not a left-back, and using him there is a waste of his talents. But even if that was a fair suggestion, Barcelona have already spent a decent amount of cash on Jordi Alba, a player whose age suggests he’ll be the team’s left-back for many years. Dani Alves is certainly not looking his old self, and there are plenty of suggestions that he’ll be out the door at some stage in the near future. But suggesting that Bale could take up a right-sided position seems pointless.

I’ve already touched on the idea that Alexis Sanchez is not a great fit for Barcelona. Another very good player, of course, but his game doesn’t seem to work well or even consistently enough for him to be seen as a great addition to their starting XI. He brings with him plenty of attacking qualities, notably his pace and ability to get behind the defensive line, but he seems to be a precursor to what we may see if Bale moves to the Nou Camp.

Barcelona don’t play a counter attacking game, quite plainly because they don’t need to. They see so much of the ball that their game is based around patient build-up play (or boring football to some). When there is so much passing around the edge of the penalty area and the opposition defence are defending deep, where is the space for Bale to showcase his talents and play to his best?

Imaginings of a parallel world where Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Barcelona would raise equal concerns. Ronaldo is the perfect fit for Real Madrid and their game, but putting him into the Barcelona team would certainly change all that. You’ve got to wonder if the world’s best players should be able to adapt, but there are obvious and reasonable lines of thinking that would suggest Ronaldo and Barcelona’s qualities would clash.

Coincidently, Gareth Bale would be an ideal fit for Real Madrid. But you’ve got to believe that a move to the Bernabeu is a no-go: nothing would allow him to replace Ronaldo on Real’s left flank.

With Barcelona, however, it’s also worth looking at the pace they do have in the side besides Sanchez. Pedro and Cristian Tello both move incredibly quickly, but they are often players who move in and out of the side, changing things when the game needs stretching. They’re also a set of players who do not compromise Barcelona’s natural passing game and the focus that is placed on Lionel Messi.

Tito Vilanova may look to significantly alter the way Barcelona play, and there is certainly some notable changes from the team under Pep Guardiola. Perhaps Gareth Bale would be seen as a natural fit for them, but at this stage that’s just guess work.

Despite his age, It’s also important to refer to David Villa and his role in the Barcelona team. A striker who was moved out onto the left yet remains one of the deadliest finishers in European football. He was a huge miss last season, and there could be a decent argument that Barcelona would have retained their league title had Villa been fit.

But then even if Barcelona do acquire Bale and he adapts his own style, how would he fare in their passing game? His natural game would suggest he’s one of Europe’s best wide players, but does that mean he’s equally able to perform to Barcelona’s current system and be a success?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic didn’t fail at the Nou Camp, but it certainly didn’t work out for one reason or another. Alexis Sanchez has been mentioned and there were even suggestions that Cesc Fabregas was struggling. It just rounds out nicely to the fact that not every player can fit into every system, and that is the overriding reason why Gareth Bale to Barcelona makes such little sense.

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