Possibly for the last time, Gareth Bale set foot on Real Madrid's training ground on Thursday to see his teammates and say goodbye. The Welshman, reports said, is headed to London where he will rejoin the Tottenham Hotspur, the club he left in 2013 to join up with the La Liga giants.
The move away seven years ago turned out monumental for Bale. He went on to win four Champion League titles and two La Liga crowns starring for Los Blancos, and the forward secured a spot as one of the best in football. But his last few seasons at Bernabeu were filled with disappointments.
The winger had a falling out with Real manager Zinedine Zidane and as a result, Bale was mostly dropped from the squad. The Spaniards won the La Liga last season and media reports highlighted Bale's awkward celebration. The images that were seen during that time somehow confirmed that the player is his way out.
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho came to the Real outcast's rescue. The Portuguese negotiated and secured a loan deal that hopefully will again display Bale's brilliance on the pitch. For one season, the 31-year-old will try to impress and find the form that won him honors in the past.
However, Bale is not going away without a farewell. Metro reported the Welshman remains a popular figure in the Real dressing room. It is believed that the player also said goodbye to Zidane, unmindful how he was treated by the latter last season.
Bale wished the Frenchman luck and went on his way. His destination is a familiar ground, where football greatness all started for him.
According to Jonathan Barnett, Bale's agent, the Real man received several offers to bring his game back to the Premier League but the choice has to be the Spurs. It was a sentimental decision on the player's part, Barnett said.
Now while media reports are saying that Tottenham did sign back Bale, Mourinho insisted there is no done deal yet. The boss said the last news given to him indicated Bale is not yet part of the Spurs roster so there is nothing to talk about.
"Until I'm told Gareth Bale is a Tottenham player, I still think and feel and respect the fact that he's a Real Madrid player, so I'm not going to comment on a Real Madrid player," Goal reported the manager as saying.
His stance, however, ran in counter with the circulating reports that a loan deal on Bale has been completed. For the season's campaign, the star will join Tottenham and his weekly salary of £600,000 will be paid for by Real and the Spurs.
