MY SPECIAL ONE
Mourinho: I’ve tried TWICE before to get Gareth. The season after I left Real they followed my instinct and bought him..he knows that
‘It’s a clever question but I don’t have a clever answer for you’
JOSE MOUR MOURINHO admits it will be third time lucky for him with Ga Gareth Bale.
Mourinho t tried to sign Bale when he was in charge of Real Madrid, again when he was at Manchester United U and is now set to get his wish w at Tottenham. This was the th Spurs manager making it ver very clear he wants Bale, he is fully supportive of the signing and that his squad desperately n needs an injection of pace, dynamism dyn and star quality.
The figur figures involved are mind-boggli mind-boggling but, in keeping w with it h t the Ama z o n docume documentary All Or Nothing, unless they go all in then they will end up with no nothing.
It is a huge gamble, but a very exciting exci one. Mourinh Mourinho was yesterday asked about his hi attempts to sign Bale during his reign at Old Trafford and underlined his admiration fo for the 31-year-old Wales forward. forwar
“Even before befo that, I tried to sign him for f Real Madrid which wasn’t wasn possible to do during my time there,” said Mourinho ( left, shaking hands with wit Bale after Real’s 2011 Champions Ch League win at W White Hart Lane). “But the t president followed lowed my instinct and my knowledge kn and the seaso season I left he brought Gare Gareth to the club. “There is no secret on that. Even Gareth knows that. But I’m not going to speak about him any more because he is a Real Madrid player.”
There was just enough there from Mourinho on Tottenham’s transfer target, quickly followed by an answer referring to his cameo role in the TV comedy show Ted Lasso about a US coach who takes over an English football team.
Mourinho ( below, greeting Eric Dier in training) has a reputation for getting the best out of ageing players and not being afraid to bring in superstar names as he did with Zlatan Ibrahimovic at United.
So what does he see in older, experienced players like Bale?
“It’s a clever question but I don’t have a clever answer for you,” said Mourinho. “Like I taught Ted Lasso – it’s better not to speak.”
However, this is the most unlikely of signings because it feels that in every other window since Bale’s £85million move to Real Madrid in 2013, Tottenham
FLIPPIN’ MARVELLOUS Bale nets wonder goal in Champions League final win over Liverpool in 2018 have been linked with a move to bring him back. And every time, the same denials, with him being too expensive, wanting to go with younger players and move forward rather than go back.
That is perhaps what makes this deal still seem so unlikely. After all, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has gained a reputation for being frugal in the transfer market, resisting going for big names.
When linked with Juventus forward Paulo Dybala last summer, the suspicion was that it was a deal which was never going to happen but at least it gave the impression the club were trying.
Now they really are going for it.
And looking at Tottenham’s defeat to Everton on Sunday, it is easy to understand why, as they need something to lift a mood of negativity. And if Spurs fans are not sure on Mourinho, then bringing back Bale is surely a game changer.