Tottenham Hotspur legend Gareth Bale really is a glutton for punishment.
After spending the past few months lapping up the applause of his adoring north London public, the Welsh wizard appears to have his heart set on a return to Real Madrid and a reunion with perhaps the most demanding and uncompromising fanbase in world football.
However, in a major boost to Bale’s Bernabeu prospects, one of his biggest critics has upped sticks and walked away from the 13-time European champions.
Even Zinedine Zidane, that most serene and tranquil of characters, can only put up with life at the heart of Spain’s biggest soap opera for so long.
Zidane’s replacement, the returning Carlo Ancelotti, has already indicated Bale may be handed a fresh start in the Spanish capital (Guardian).
So Fabio Paratici, Tottenham’s newly appointed sporting director, appears to be in for a busier summer than a Love Island producer. It’s not fame-hungry boors he’s after though.
Could Berardi replace Bale at Tottenham?
Elite-level footballers, those capable of turning the perennial nearly men into title challengers again, are more Paratici’s bag. Replacing Bale is just one of the tasks in his already bulging in-tray.
No-one else in the Spurs squad is capable of emulating Bale’s star quality on the right-hand side – not Lucas Moura, not Erik Lamela and certainly not the hard-running yet frustrating Steven Bergwijn.
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Reports linking Italy’s Euro 2020 star Domenico Berardi with a move to the Premier League, via Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday, certainly seem to suggest Paratici plans to fill a Bale-shaped void with something similar – another right-footed left-winger who loves to cut inside and wreak havoc.
Are Tottenham the mystery club chasing Mendez?
Brais Mendez, the 24-year-old Celta Vigo winger, is another in the Gareth Bale mould.
And with Tuttomercatoweb reporting an unnamed, London-based outfit is battling Norwich City, Southampton and Lyon for the skilful Spain international, it would be no surprise to find Spurs are the mystery club in question.
Mendez, who enjoyed his best-ever season in 2020/21 with nine La Liga goals, has caught Tottenham’s eye before too.
In 2019, 90Min reported Spurs wanted the Galician-born dynamo as a potential replacement for Christian Eriksen.
Two years on, could that very same player now be tasked with filling the boots of another fans’ favourite?
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