Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move to bring Gareth Bale back to the club.
El Chiringuito TV claimed on Tuesday that chairman Daniel Levy made an enquiry for the Wales international while in a meeting with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
There are a number of stumbling blocks that Spurs will have to clear if they are to bring the winger back to the club, having sold him to the Spanish club for a then-world record fee of £85m in 2013.
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He has struggled with injuries this season and throughout his career at Real, and at the time of writing, had made 14 appearances in all competitions in 2019/20.
In that time, he has scored twice and registered two assists.
The contract that he signed in 2016, too, which runs until 2022, saw Bale become the world’s highest-paid player at the time, earning £350,000-per-week after tax - £600,000-per-week before tax – according to The Guardian.
Nevertheless, should Spurs make a move for the 30-year-old and stage a somewhat emotional reunion?
Football FanCast’s writers have their say below!
Charles Jones
“If Tottenham can afford it then they shouldn't hesitate in bringing Gareth Bale back to London.
“I think we lose touch of how good Bale really is in this country as we don't have the pleasure of seeing him week in week out, but this is one of only five players to have ever won multiple PFA Player of the Year awards.
“The Welshman was a world-record signing when he left Spurs for a reason, and although he's had his injury problems at Real Madrid he's still one of the best players in the world.
“Ok, finances make it tough to do, but if a player of that talent becomes available you have to break the bank to land them.”
Lewis Blain
“The old adage in football is that you should never go back. For instance, Thierry Henry's 2012 comeback to Arsenal was merely a masked tribute act while Jose Mourinho's second tenure at Chelsea was hardly another bout of the 'Special One' but rather the 'Problematic One' so it doesn't bode well for Spurs' ploy to hand Gareth Bale a lifeline.
“In recent years at Real Madrid, the 30-year-old has shown his true colours with his off-the-field antics involving golf rather than his actual profession of playing football.
“A return to Tottenham would be a silly decision, one that would cost the club a fortune and go against everything Levy believes in. If the chairman won't splash out on signings, he's certainly not going to stump up Bale's £600k-a-week wages.
“There are more pressing matters of finding Christian Eriksen's successor or filling the crucial void left behind by Harry Kane's injury blow. This really would be a disastrous move from Levy if he pulls it off.”
Domagoj Kostanjsak
"At the moment, Gareth Bale doesn't really look like a smart purchase for Tottenham. Levy shouldn't allow himself to fall into this trap laid by Florentino Perez who's no doubt looking to cash in on a player who's not even in Zinedine Zidane's plans.
“Both of them know that the Welshman is already past his prime but could still offer them decent compensation if they were to successfully move him on now.
“But at over £600,000-per-week and continuous fitness issues, Levy would be wise to turn a blind eye to this deal and look to either clinch someone to fill Kane's void or look for an Eriksen replacement.
“Not to mention that Bale is already on the wrong side of his 30s and for a player who's largely reliant on his pace, this is bad news. The way I see it, this would be a waste of money and resources for Spurs.”
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