Bale would take pay cut to stay with Spurs - Micah

GARETH Bale would take a pay cut in order to stay at Tottenham next season rather than go back to parent club Real Madrid, according to Micah Richards.

Bale (pictured) signed for Spurs on a season-long loan deal from Real in September, rejoining the club he left in a world-record £85million transfer in 2013.

The Welsh forward has taken a while to find his fitness and form in north London, but has now hit his straps, contributing six goals and three assists in his last six matches across all competitions.

His two goals in Tottenham’s 4-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday helped move Jose Mourinho’s side up to sixth place in the Premier League, two points off the Champions League places.

Tottenham’s loan deal for Bale includes the option of triggering another year and the 31-yearold’s agent has previously stated that he would be open to that possibility.

Jonathan Barnett told BBC Radio 5Live in September: “I’m sure that if things really worked out well, we’d have no problem [with Gareth staying a second season].

“This is the club he wants to play at. I don’t see any problems if he wants another year.”

Spurs are reportedly paying less than half of Bale’s £600,000 per week wages, with Real covering the majority of the six-year contract he signed in 2016 and which expires in June 2022.

Tottenham’s expenditure on Bale works out at around £15.6m per year, but former Manchester City defender Richards believes the forward would be willing to reduce his wage demands in order to stay at Spurs.

“I think he stays at Spurs. I think he would take a pay cut to stay at Spurs,” Richards said on the Sky Sports Football Podcast.

Bale’s relationship with Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has broken down and the Frenchman is reportedly keen to offload the high-earner.

Barnett claimed Bale had been treated “disgracefully” by the Spanish giants and described his last few years at the club as “an unhappy period”.

Bale has now scored 10 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions for Spurs and is beginning to look like the player the club originally sold to Real Madrid.

His link-up play with Harry Kane in the thrashing of Palace was impressive and if his form continues, then speculation over another season with Spurs will only continue.