Bale returns, plus we also signed defender Sergio Reguilon
Well, it all happened yesterday (Saturday)… the signings, even though we’ve known about this for some time. Now it all a done deal. Hero Bale returns to his spiritual home.
Yes, we’ve re-signed Gareth Bale from Spanish champions Real Madrid on a season-long loan and maybe after as well. Bale, who is 31, left us for a then-world record £85m in 2013. He then went on to score more than 100 goals and win four Champions Leagues with Real Madrid.
Bale’s comments on arriving at Tottenham: “It’s nice to be back. It’s such a special club to me. It’s where I made my name.” He then went on and added, “Hopefully, now I can get some match fitness, get underway and really help the team and, hopefully, win trophies.”
Bale has a knee injury sustained playing for Wales earlier this month and the club “anticipate that he will be match fit after October’s international break”. That would mean he will be missing our next five games, with the club’s first outing following the international break at home to West Ham on 17 October.
As our supporters will know, Bale originally joined us as a 17-year-old from Southampton in 2007 for an initial payment of £5m. “I always thought when I did leave that I would love to come back,” he said.
At Real, Bale has also won two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, three Uefa Super Cups and three Club World Cups. Amazing and it shows he turned out to be a world-class player, well worth us getting him.
Bale remains the most costly British player in history, as well as the top-scoring British player in La Liga – with 80 goals and 40 assists in 171 league appearances, averaging a goal or assist every 104 minutes.
Bale extended his stay at Real Madrid with a new six-year deal in 2016, reported to be worth £600,000 a week – and £150m over its duration – in salaries and bonuses.
Bale’s relationship with the Real Madrid manager, Zidane deteriorated to the extent Bale asked not to travel with the squad for the Champions League last-16 second-leg tie against Manchester City in August because he believed there was no possibility of him being involved.
Some information on the deal that took him back to Spurs
It is believed that we will pay 40% of Bale’s salary, which is more than £600,000 a week. The number may involve bonuses, so the actual payment may be less than £260,000 a week, but it will still place him above our Harry Kane, who signed a £200,000-a-week deal in 2018.
Levy has a keen business brain, so doubtlessly will justify the move on two fronts: the impact Bale could have on Mourinho’s squad, leading to accomplishment on the field and therefore, hopefully, more Lollie off it. Secondly, Bale is a worldwide star and will have a significant commercial impact.
Key stats on Bale
In 146 Premier League games for us, Bale scored 42 times. In his last season at Tottenham in 2012-2013, Bale was involved in 37 goals in all competitions for the club (26 goals, 11 assists) – only Robin van Persie (39) and Juan Mata (49) were involved in more for a Premier League club that season.
Nine of those 21 goals came outside the box; the most by any player in a single season in the competition’s history.
Bale is one of four Premier League players to win the PFA Players’ Player of the Year on two occasions, after Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry and Ronaldo. He was also only the second Premier League player (along with Ronaldo) to win both this award alongside the Young Player of the Year award in the same season.
Bale is one of seven players to score at least twice in a single Champions League final, and the only British player to do so.
Since he joined Madrid in the summer of 2013, only Ronaldo (318) and Karim Benzema (235) have been involved in more competitive goals for Real Madrid than Gareth Bale (162).
Over the past three seasons, Gareth Bale has seen his attempted dribbles drop to three or less per 90 minutes, compared to a high of 6.2 when at Tottenham and 5.8 in his first season at Real Madrid.
So, that is Bale sorted, now on to our other signing, sadly, in the shade of Bale.
Tottenham sign defender Sergio Reguilon from Real Madrid
The Spanish defender Sergio Reguilon signs for us. On arrival, he said he was delighted to be joining Spurs from Real Madrid alongside his idol Bale after signing a five-year deal.
Reguilon is 23, came through the youth set-up at Real and made his first-team debut in October 2018. The left-back joins us for an unrevealed fee but with a reported £27.5m buyback clause.
Reguilon will wear the number three shirt for us.
Reguilon broke into the Real first team from the academy and usurped Marcelo with dynamic displays down the left side.
Reguilon joined Sevilla on loan, where he scored three times and contributed five assists as the side finished fourth in La Liga and won the Europa League.
With the equally forward-thinking Matt Doherty on the right of Tottenham’s defence, Spurs manager Jose Mourinho now has the option of being more adventurous with twin attacking full-backs.
My thoughts
Reguilon a good purchase and I am looking forward to seeing him play. He will make a difference. As for Bale; my first thoughts or concerns was that he is injury prone. He is also supporting an injury, however, if we can get another striker, we won’t need Bale straight away. I see Bale more of a bench person and only required when things are going badly for us. Get a striker to cover for Kane, and I will be delighted. And I can also see us winning trophies and getting a top-four spot. Is Bill Nicholson finally smiling down on the Spurs team? All it now needs is for us being allowed back into the stadium.
COYS!
My name is Glenn Renshaw.
I am currently a Premium Season Ticket holder (West Stand) in the new stadium. Before that – at White Hart Lane – a season ticket holder in various parts of the ground (mainly in the North stand).
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