Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering signing Gareth Bale on loan from Real Madrid for the rest of the season in the January transfer window.
According to a report from El Nacional, Gareth Bale could be set for a third stint at Tottenham Hotspur, with the Premier League considering re-signing him on loan in the upcoming January transfer window.
Bale enjoyed a stellar stint at Tottenham early in his career, during which he established himself as a bonafide superstar before earning a big-money move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013. While he enjoyed a lot of success during the early parts of his tenure in Spain, the Welsh wing-wizard never really managed to win over the fans, while he also fell out of favour under ex-manager Zinedine Zidane in recent years.
Having struggled for game-time under the Frenchman, Bale rejoined Tottenham on loan for the 2020/21 season, and even though he battled fitness problems, the 32-year-old produced an impressive return of 16 goals and three assists from 34 games across all competitions.
Upon returning to Real Madrid, new manager Carlo Ancelotti decided to give Bale another shot in Spain. The forward scored a goal early in the season but has struggled with fitness problems again and has not played since August. Although, he did participate in the World Cup qualifiers for the Welsh national team in between.
Nonetheless, with his contract expiring at the end of the season, Real Madrid are waiting to get him off the books. And, as per the report mentioned above, they might not have to wait until the summer to do so, as Tottenham are looking into re-signing him on loan.
The Lilywhites have mounted a strong recovery since Antonio Conte took over the reins. Harry Kane seems to be finding his form back while Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min have also been in good touch. However, beyond them, there is not much quality in attack, with the likes of Bryan Gil and Steven Bergwijn struggling to perform.
Furthermore, Gil has been linked with a loan exit while Bergwijn has been touted as a transfer target for AFC Ajax. Should either of them leave, there could be a vacancy created in the attacking unit, which they seem to intend to fill with the signing of Bale. The report claims that the Lilywhites would be willing to cover 50% of his wages, with Real Madrid paying the rest till the end of the season.
On top of that, it is also stated that the north London outfit would be open to signing him permanently in the summer when he will become a free agent, based on how he performs in the next six months. Real Madrid are believed to be ready to accept the proposal, while Tottenham boss Conte has reportedly greenlighted the operation as well. It now remains to be seen if Bale ends up returning to London again next month.
