Gareth Bale's Tottenham return ruled out with birthday boy set for Real Madrid stay

Staying put: Gareth Bale
REUTERS
Ben Hayward16 July 2019

Gareth Bale today found himself on the front page of Spain's best-selling sports paper as he celebrated his 30th birthday.

"Bale has an exit," Marca said. "Tottenham are ready to offer €50-60 million to bring him back."

The paper went on to add that Spurs could only pay half his salary and said that Madrid did not want to sell him cheaply.

It is no secret that they want to sell him, of course. But Standard Sport understands Tottenham are not preparing any such bid and as the winger celebrated his 30th birthday, his immediate future still looks likely to be in Spain.

"Bale has no intention of leaving Real Madrid," the player's agent Jonathan Barnett said earlier in July. "He has a contract until 2022."

Barnett has previously dismissed links with Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, while a possible move to China is out of the question because the player has no interest in moving there.

Asked by talkSPORT about reports of a return to Spurs, Barnett said on Tuesday: "I don't comment on rubbish." He added to Daily Mail: "Nothing has changed."

Spurs have other transfer targets this summer and would be put off by Bale's wages, anyway, while Manchester United have no plans to follow up their interest from previous summers.

Bale was expected to step up last season following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, but the former Tottenham attacker endured a disappointing campaign and was frozen out towards the end by coach Zinedine Zidane last term.

Gareth Bale was left out by Zinedine Zidane at the end of last season.
REUTERS

The relationship between player and coach is somewhat strained, but Zidane did say on several occasions at the end of last season that he did not know what the future would bring and as things stand, Bale seems set to stay for a seventh season at Real Madrid.

With Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic signed this summer, there will be increased competition for places in 2019-20, but a fully fit and on-form Bale is still arguably a starter on merit for Madrid and the winger is determined to show his worth in pre-season.

Madrid, meanwhile, continue to search for a buyer, but with Bale now 30, still prone to injuries, on high wages and with his best years behind him, it seems unlikely there will be any serious bidders for the Welshman in the remainder of the window.

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