Gareth Bale and Tottenham Hotspur are a love story of old. Of course, their relationship goes way back to the times when the Welshman was one of the hottest players on the planet, blazing through teams in the Premier League. And all those years ago, Real Madrid made him the most expensive player in the world at that time.
But, his stay at the Spanish capital was all but rewarding. Yes, Bale won trophies and delivered some excellent performances but his relationship with the current gaffer, Zinedine Zidane, is mostly non-existent. As a result, the forward is no longer being used and he spends his time either yawning in the stands or playing golf under the Spanish sun.
Recently, however, he was tipped to join Spurs once again by former teammate Andros Townsend. He explained that the 31-year-old would be much happier back in London despite sitting on a £600,000-per-week contract at Real Madrid. Here's what he said, as quoted by Express: "I think if anything Bale wants to go back to Spurs, the memories of Spurs, his happiness... he was the main man, he was loved. He was at the top of his game. So, if anything I think it would work the other way."
Reportedly, the Welshman is refusing to be transferred despite Real's best efforts and is adamant on seeing out his contract that runs until 2022. This is seen as some kind of vengeance for the club blocking his mooted move to China at the 11th hour last year and this is how he's punishing them.
A move back to Spurs, however, at least according to Townsend, would be a much better alternative for everyone.
Verdict
It may not seem that way but Bale still has a lot to offer despite already being in his 30s. The Welshman has enough quality to play at the top level for at least a couple more years and maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea for Jose Mourinho to pull the trigger.
Real are desperate to get rid of him and that means the price could be just right. If Daniel Levy was to ever open the war chest, this is the time to do it.