Gareth Bale’s loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur hasn’t gone to plan so far, and he might return to Real Madrid at the end of the current season.
When Tottenham Hotspur agreed to sign Gareth Bale on loan ahead of the current season, there was an air of excitement surrounding this move in London. Not just that, a section of Real Madrid fans were happy at the prospect of seeing a talented player like Bale returning to a club where he made a name for himself so that he could rediscover his best form. Four months have passed and this loan stint proved to be anything but that.
According to a report from Spanish publication AS, Tottenham Hotspur have decided not to exercise the option to purchase the Welsh winger, implying that he will be returning to Real Madrid at the end of the season. Bale hasn’t lived up to the expectations and much more was, obviously, expected from him.
He has made a mere 11 appearances this season, scoring 3 goals and assisting once. Over those 11 appearances, he has accumulated just 594 minutes, not even completing the full 90 minutes even once. This just goes to show that he hasn’t yet hit the physical levels required to get through the grind of an entire game.
The report further states that Real Madrid are actually considering keeping him for the next season in the squad. The duration of the loan was just one season, while his current contract with Los Blancos expires in June 2022, meaning he could still don the Whites for one last season.
Real Madrid have shared £13.5 million already for Bale’s wages (with the other £13.5 million being paid by Tottenham Hotspur), and having him for another season on the books would mean paying another £27 million (€30 million) of his wages. With the financial crunch that the club is experiencing, having Bale in the team would be the least pragmatic solution.
To be honest, I believe that he will be offloaded next season if Tottenham Hotspur do not buy him permanently, which looks the most likely thing. Bale doesn’t look like a sporting prospect anymore and Real Madrid already have players who can offer much more.