Football.London’s Alasdair Gold has claimed that there is a growing belief that Gareth Bale would like to stay at Real Madrid for the final year of his contract.
Bale came in for plenty of criticism at the start of last season as he failed to hit the ground running on his return to Tottenham.
However, the Welshman showed his quality in the final few months of the campaign once he regained match sharpness, finishing the season with an impressive tally of 16 goals in all competitions.
The 31-year-old once again demonstrated against Turkey on Wednesday that he is still capable of moments of magic as he set up both of Wales’ goals in the 2-0 win.
There remains a big question mark over Bale’s future, with some reports suggesting that Tottenham have the option to re-sign him on loan for next season, while others have indicated that he could stay at Real Madrid and see out the final year of his contract.
If Tottenham do re-sign Bale, Gold believes it would make sense for the Lilywhites to deploy the Welshman as a number ten in order to take advantage of the quality he possesses on the ball.
However, he added that ‘there is a growing belief that Bale would like to remain at Real Madrid for the final year of his contract’.
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The journalist wrote: “If Bale were to return to N17 then a new role could suit him down to the ground as he reaches the twilight of his trophy-laden career.
“The Welshman can still power up the wing and past opponents but the biggest problem for him is then getting back into his own half to track back and help the full-back, something that has become more of a requirement for wingers in the modern game.
“Turning 32 next month and with a history of injuries in recent seasons, Bale is unable to play at full pelt for 90 minutes and often cannot start twice within three to four days.
“That saw him used sparingly in the Premier League by Jose Mourinho and even Ryan Mason admitted during his short spell as interim head coach that Bale had indicated on a couple of occasions that he was not able to start.
“However, his creativity is undeniable as is his ability to get into the box and scores, which would lend itself to a number 10 role.
“The club have lacked a true number 10 since Christian Eriksen’s prime Tottenham years and Bale’s ability to create through the centre and also sit deeper to spray around passes like an NFL quarterback would mark him out for the job.”
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One thing is indisputable based on how Bale finished the season and his performances for Wales in the Euros – He still has more than enough quality to be an asset for any squad. Mourinho certainly did not make the best use of him and using the Welshman in a free role, similar to the one Jose employed Ndombele in at the start of last season, might well be the answer.
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