It appears to be the end of the road for Gareth Bale at Real Madrid, with the Welshman playing his final few months at the Santiago Bernabeu before embarking on a new adventure.
At present, it’s completely unknown where that may ultimately be, though rumours might suggest a return to Tottenham Hotspur for one last hurrah is on the cards.
It would be a potentially brilliant ending to a sterling career both in the Premier League and La Liga, however, on particular journalist isn’t so sure it’ll happen.
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Tuttomercatoweb, cited by Football Fan Cast, recently suggested that the Welshman had signed a pre-contract with the North Londoners. Not according to football.london reporter, Alasdair Gold.
“From a football perspective, it makes little sense as trying to shoehorn the Welshman, who will be 33 then, into Conte’s demanding, high energy system,” Gold said in a recent Q&A.
“I just wonder whether it would be similar to the [Jose] Mourinho and Bale experiment and the winger’s even higher wages than last season as a free agent would be problematic if he’s not a regular starter either through Conte’s wishes or injuries.
“Bale would certainly bring the experience and winning mentality Conte needs in this Spurs team but I’m not sure how well he would suit a system with wing-backs.
“He would have to play further inside and there would be a pressure on him to get back and defend, which was a difficultly under Mourinho.”
Though no one can really claim to know what’s happening with Bale, heck he could even retire from the game after so many years of persistent injury problems, Gold’s take is a reasonable one.
His loan spell at White Hart Lane was hardly an overwhelming success, and there’s little doubt that the way in which Antonio Conte wants the team to play means that Bale would find the going tough.
Does he still have the fight for it? That’s probably the million dollar question.