Gareth Bale left Tottenham Hotspur in 2013, but fans of the North London side would love him back.
Guillem Balague has told Sky Sports he is certain that Real Madrid want to sell Gareth Bale – but does not believe that a fairytale return to Tottenham Hotspur is on the cards this summer.
The Tottenham legend left North London in 2013 for a then-world record sum of £86 million.
In four seasons in the Spanish capital, Bale has won three Champions League titles, one Copa Del Rey and one Primera Division title, but speculation about a return to the Premier League is never far away.
Manchester United have been consistently linked in recent summers, although Tottenham fans would be delighted if he re-joined Spurs at some point.
But Spanish football expert Balague has told Sky Sports he does not believe that Bale – who earns £350,000 (Guardian) per week in Madrid, where he is contracted until 2022 – will return to North London any time soon.
“I am convinced Real Madrid want to sell Gareth Bale. That is not Bale’s preferred choice, he would like to stay,” said the Spaniard.
“Obviously somebody will have to buy Bale but I don’t think it will be Spurs; it doesn’t make sense for him to go back and it would cost Spurs too much to bring him back – other teams are better prepared and have a greater desire and financial possibilities.
“Of course Spurs would like to have Bale back but their targets are different. You only have to compare their expenditure to the highest in the Premier League to see they don’t have the kind of money it would take to sign Bale.”
Pipe dream?
If they’re honest, Tottenham fans will more than likely know it’s a pipe dream to see the return of Bale.
The Welshman, who scored 26 times to scoop the PFA Player of the Year award in his last season, might have a strong affinity for the Lilywhites, but is he really going to take a wage cut of over £200,000 per week to re-sign for them? Probably not.
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