Reports: Gareth Bale close to completing a switch to Tottenham from Real Madrid

According to Sky Sports, Gareth Bale has never been closer to leaving Real Madrid than he is this summer. Tottenham Hotspur are rumored to have agreed on a potential £13 million pound loan fee for Gareth Bale with Real Madrid that would see Bale join his former club for the 2020-21 season.

Bale has been a major target for not only Tottenham Hotspur but also for Manchester United this summer, but it is Tottenham who have emerged as frontrunners to sign the attacker.

Bale spent six seasons at Tottenham Hotspur where he scored 42 goals in 146 games for the club. Bale was undoubtedly Tottenham's biggest star when he was at the club, winning the 2012-13 Premier League Player of the Season Award while playing for them.

Gareth Bale is coming back to Tottenham. The agreement is getting closer - last details then the deal will be done. Bale already told to his teammates that he’s going to #THFC.“This is the closest Gareth has been to leave, talks on-going”, also said his agent Barnett to BBC. ⚪️ https://t.co/r8sn5sVSdc

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 16, 2020

Tottenham yet to finalise financial terms regarding Gareth Bale's wages with Real Madrid

Gareth Bale needs to take a wage cut to force through move to Tottenham

Real Madrid would prefer to sell Bale rather than send him on loan, since a loan deal would mean Madrid paying half or a large portion of his enormous wages. According to Sky, Bale has taken a huge wage cut in order to force a move to Tottenham.

When asked if Bale was a player he admired, Mourinho said " I tried to sign him for Real Madrid which was not possible to do during my time there. But the president followed my instinct and my knowledge and the season I left he brought Gareth to the club. There is no secret on (my admiration of the player), I think even Gareth knows that. "

Bale's agent Jonathan Barnett was quoted saying to Sky sports, " There's a long way to go on some issues, but without a doubt Gareth is closer to leaving Madrid than at any time in the last seven years. The deal is complicated, but there is reason to believe a deal is close and things could move very quickly if discussions continue to go well."

The issue reportedly faced by Tottenham, Real Madrid and Gareth Bale, is his wage. Bale was earning £600,000 pounds per week during his time at Real, a sum that cannot be matched by Tottenham. Tottenham have therefore requested that Bale take a sizeable pay-cut, and that Real Madrid pay a portion of his wages during his loan spell.

Tottenham are now close to agreeing a deal to sign Gareth Bale on loan from Real Madrid, with Spurs to pay around £20m in wages and loan fees

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 16, 2020

Bale's wage is one of the major reasons why Manchester United seem to have stalled their negotiations for the Welshman. Manchester United are no strangers to paying their playesr exorbitant wages. United, however, are implementing a stringent wage structure at the club.

The Manchester United board feel that the signing of Bale would break this structure, and not align with their plans of signing young talent for the future given that Bale is 31-years-old.

A reunion with Tottenham Hotspur seems on the cards for Bale. Tottenham, if they can negotiate a deal where they pay a £13 million loan fee, and Real Madrid paying half of Bale's wages, would emerge massive winners.

Tottenham have been short of attacking options, ideas and creativity of late. Bale has the pedigree, quality and experience to make the desired impact at Tottenham.