Seven years after leaving Tottenham as the then world’s most expensive player, Gareth Bale finds himself back at the club where his career took off. The Welsh superstar has put pen to paper on a loan deal that will see him return to north London for the 2020/21 campaign.
Spurs were keen on bolstering their squad after suffering a 1-0 defeat at home to Everton in the opening game of the Premier League campaign. Los Blancos, meanwhile, have been keen to offload the 31-year-old and managed to strike a deal with Mourinho’s side, which boasts an option to extend for a further year.
Bale’s unpopularity both at the club and among the Merengues fan-base is no secret. A falling out with Zidane saw him fall down the pecking order, thus driving the attacker’s desire to leave. Having now gotten his wish, the player’s agent Jonathan Barnett has opened up about his exit, revealing Bale has no intentions of returning.
"Hopefully the subject won't come up," Barnett told BBC Radio 4 (as per Marca) when asked about the possibility of returning to the Bernabeu next summer
"He will be so successful at Tottenham that he'll want to stay and it will be a simple deal to do the rest.
"What I hope is he'll get his love back for the game and play the way he can, but it's up to him. And he's not on trial anywhere. He's achieved more than any other, I think, British footballer abroad, so I think he's fine.
"In my opinion, he wasn't treated correctly for somebody who's done so much for a great club. It's hard to put one finger on it, but I think somebody who has achieved what he has achieved for a club, in seven years, should have been treated better.
"I don't want to blame anybody or go into it. I think what the fans did was disgraceful and the club didn't help. That's all I really want to get into."
The message from Bale’s camp all these years has been clear: Gareth has never gotten the appreciation he deserves in Madrid. Despite winning seven major trophies, including four Champions League crowns, during his time in the Spanish capital, the 31-year-old winger has long been subject to boos and jeers from Real Madrid fans.
His agent is adamant that the club and its supporters should be grateful for Gareth, adding: "With what he's achieved for Real Madrid, they should be kissing the floor that he walks on.”
Having scored a whopping 105 time in 251 appearances for Los Blancos, all the while racking up 68 assists, it’s hard not to see why Tottenham fans are excited for his return. Unfortunately, Bale will not be able to don the Spurs jersey for at least another month due to a knee injury.
