Jose Mourinho, who has been rated as the 6th best ever manager in the EPL, has pulled off a sensational deal that many Spurs supporters have been desperate for, for several years – agreeing a loan that sees Welshman, Gareth Bale returning to the fold at Tottenham Hotspur.
Bale has been out of favour with Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane, since the Frenchman’s return to the Bernabéu. A move to Tottenham, from whence the 31-year-old, came seven years ago, for a fee of £85 million, would not only relieve Zinedine Zidane – it could also reignite Jose Mourinho’s bid to get Spurs back into top-flight contention in the English Premier League.
But there may be a price to be paid. It is strongly rumoured that Spurs will sell Dele Alli in order to help to finance the move, which will sees Tottenham paying half of the players wages while Real Madrid pay the rest.
There is no doubt that 24-year-old Alli has disappointed in his last few appearances. He has was left out of the squad for Tottenham’s Europa League clash with Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Plovdiv, in what could be seen as a move to ensure the player remains fit and injury-free.
There have been speculation of Dele Alli might be part of a swap deal that would see him joining Real, as Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilón make their way in the opposite direction. However, that optin now seems to be closed, but PSG and Inter Milan are both said to be interested in acquiring the English International’s services if he is put on the market.
There is no doubt that if Bale can commit himself 100% to Tottenham and remain injury-free, it could be a stunning move – one that puts Tottenham back on the map. A forward line consisting of Bale, Kane, and Son, is enough to intimidate any opponent.
Jose Mourinho has also struggled to find the right defensive combination, and the potential arrival of 23-yeat-old left-back, Sergio Reguilón could be significant. Between the two of them, Bale and Reguilón would provide Mourinho with better options and more balance, both in attack and defence.
It might turn out that Reguilón becomes more significant than Bale, especially in the long term. At 31 years of age, Bale is certainly in the autumn of his career, and is only on loan for a year, whereas at only 23, the Spaniard is just entering his prime.
He is a marauding full-back in the same style as Kieran Tripper, Kyle Walker, Danny Rose whose ability to sprint forward carrying the ball and to whip dangerous crosses in for Kane and Son to latch on to is an exciting proposition.
Reguilón is a product of Real Madrid’s Youth Academy, and today he is one of the most exciting full-backs in La Liga.
His relatively short height and low centre of gravity lay the grounds for his excellent dribbling skills, and with 6,000 yards worth of dribbling last season, only eight other players in Lag Liga carried the ball further. Also, his key pass rate was the 5th highest of any other defenders in the Spanish League.
While the arrival of the Spaniard could be seen as something of a coup, while Gareth Bale’s return could yet backfire on Mourinho if he doesn’t succeed in fully motivating the Welshman.
But having said that, whereas Bale’s relationship, or lack of with Zinedine Zidane, and the reaction of Los Blancos supporters, have led to the Welshman’s downfall at the Bernabéu, he holds Jose Mourinho in high regard having previously dubbed him a “serial winner.”
For his part, Mourinho is a big fan of Bale, and if all goes well, the move could restore the reputations of both men to the heights they once commanded on the world soccer stage.