BALE IS ALL SET TO RETURN TO WHITE HART LANE ON LOAN
GARETH Bale is expected to travel to London today to complete his return to Tottenham.
The Welshman is set to sign on a season-long loan from Real Madrid and – barring any last-minute hitches – will be in the UK today, the PA news agency understands.
It is reported that he will be accompanied on the plane by Madrid team-mate Sergio Reguilon, who will join on a permanent transfer, with the club hoping to announce both deals before the weekend. Spurs have been in discussions to sign 31-year-old Bale seven years after he left for a then world-record fee and it appears all financial hurdles have been overcome.
The Spanish club are understood to be paying a large chunk of Bale’s sizeable salary. Left-back Reguilon, who was interesting Manchester United, is primed to make a £27.5million move on a five-year deal after Spurs swiftly concluded negotiations for his services.
There is thought to be a buy-back clause inserted in the deal by Real Madrid. Boss Jose Mourinho refused to discuss either deal at Wednesday’s press conference previewing Tottenham’s Europa League qualifying clash with Lokomotiv Plovdiv, but he may be more forthcoming after the game given the significant developments.
Bale’s return will tug on the heart strings of Spurs fans after a hugely successful first stint at White Hart Lane.
The Cardiff-born player swapped the north London club for the Spanish capital in 2013 for a then world-record fee, winning four Champions Leagues during a medal-laden stint at the Bernabeu. But Bale has found himself marginalised under Zinedine Zidane and has spent the last two years struggling to get in the side.
MY Evertonsupporting friend was hoping they’d be playing Vale in the Carabao Cup, but I’ve told him we’ve got bigger fish to fry.
The Vale would have been at home to Carlo Ancelotti’s side had they got through against Fleetwood the other night but John Askey showed where his priorities lie by making 10 changes for the game.
The Vale still ran a fullstrength Fleetwood side close in only losing 2-1 but this weekend’s league game at Exeter is more important.
It means James Rodriguez won’t be coming to Vale Park, but he’ll just have to get over that.
In the last couple of years a cup tie against Everton would have been a highlight of the season but this year the priorities are different because Vale have the mostbalanced squad for the last few years and, based on the evidence of last season, I’d like to think will be at least in the play-off conversation.
I know Vale have history
– to say the least – against Everton, having knocked them out of the FA Cup in 1996 with Steve Guppy and Jon Mccarthy on the wings.
But this wouldn’t have been the same and the fact the tie would have been played behind closed doors would have meant this particular Port Vale v Everton tie was a much lesser attraction.
Vale have a proud history of big cup wins but those are all sprinkled through progress in the leagues and promotions under John Rudge.
Cup nights are the icing on the cake but you’ve got to have a cake first and that’s doing well in the league.
Mind you, all those changes against Fleetwood weren’t just about resting players. It looks like the Vale have the most strength in depth in their squad for a number of years. For the lads who aren’t currently in the League
XI, you have to keep them interested and motivated and hopefully you want to know they are in a bit of decent form.
You are going to have to call on players during a season and, if they haven’t played for weeks or months, then it can take a while to get up to the level required.
Across the city, Michael O’neill has shown he’s the man to take Stoke forward but he does have the problem of too many players in his squad.
There’s a bit of sorting out to do, after all there were 17 players not involved in that opening league squad at Millwall.
It’s hard for him because he will want to concentrate on 18 or 20 players that he knows are going to be the backbone of what he will use this season.
But there are lots of other professionals trying to catch his eye.
Some will be training as hard as they can, some might be a bit demotivated. You have to try to keep the spirit and the focus in the club.
Also, he’ll have an idea of the players he wants, but won’t want to alienate players who aren’t in his plans at the moment. If they are sold or the club can move them out on loan then fine, but while the player is still there you really want them on side.
You never know what could happen with injuries and so some of those players might be needed. If you have already pushed the replacement away then it can be a little bit difficult to rope them back in.
Port Vale, I would like to think, will at least be in the play off conversation