Tottenham fans, myself included, need a tonic after the miserable home loss to Everton, and it looks like chairman and overlord Daniel Levy might be about to administer a cheeky double: Gareth Bale (on loan) and left-back Sergio Reguilon look set to join Spurs from Real Madrid, in one of those classic Levy moves – asks Real about Reguilon, drops in a casual “And how’s Gareth doing?”, and here we go.
“Gareth still loves Spurs,” his agent Jonathan Barnett told the BBC. “It’s where he wants to be.” Coming from Barnett, this is pretty hard evidence that Bale’s return is on the cards.
Sergio Reguilon in action for Real
Naturally, I’d love to see Bale wearing a Spurs shirt again, but almost entirely for the nostalgia value – I seriously question what he has to offer at the age of 31, with plenty of injuries under his belt, and well-documented motivation issues. Sure, Real Madrid and Zidane have frozen him out, but equally, when he has played for Real in the last couple of seasons, he’s been anonymous.
Me prising open the 2012-13 PL database
"Gareth Bale, that's a name I haven't heard in a long time" pic.twitter.com/Aer6667Fvs
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) September 15, 2020
Reguilon, a young, attacking full-back, would be a more valuable arrival purely from a playing point of view, because Ben Davies – the guy he’d replace in the starting XI – should not be starting for a team with Champions League aspirations; not that I see Spurs as being a realistic bet for a top-four finish. Top eight might be a push.