The latest name swirling in the headlines is Gareth Bale, with the Welshman being heavily linked with a return to Tottenham. Jose Mourinho has opened up about the links and has given a Jose-esque response.
The Real Madrid talent, once regarded as one of the best players in the world, currently finds himself rotting on the Bernabeu bench and in search of an exit. He has long been tipped to return to England but only now does it appear likely, with Spurs eager to bring him back.
Man United was tipped to be his likeliest destination; however, his agent Jonathan Barnett refuted that, revealing that talks are ongoing with the north London outfit. When asked about it, current Tottenham tactician Mourinho gave an interesting but coy answer.
The Special One refused to confirm or deny whether the Premier League side are fighting to resign the Welshman. However, the former Chelsea and Man United boss was candid about his admiration for Bale, revealing that he was the first to recommend signing him at Real Madrid.
"I tried to sign him for Real Madrid which was not possible to do during my time there,' the Portuguese boss said in a press conference. "But the president followed my instinct and my knowledge and the season I left he brought Gareth to the club.
"There is no secret on that. Even Gareth knows that. But I'm not going to speak about him anymore because he is a Real Madrid player."
As of now, it remains uncertain whether Los Blancos will agree to this deal, which is a loan, according to the rumors. Tottenham began the 2020/21 Premier League season with a 1-0 defeat to Everton which might have upped the club's desire to bring Bale back home.
One huge factor is his salary. The 31-year-old wishes to maintain his current wage package, which goes up to $17M per year, should he leave for England. How much of this are Spurs willing to cover? This could be the deciding factor between Tottenham and Man United, the other English giant interested in Gareth.
