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José Mourinho and Gareth Bale had always seemed to be the football connection that was destined to never happen. Once at Real Madrid, and for two consecutive summers at Manchester United, Mourinho tried and failed to add the Welsh winger to his squad.
In many ways, Bale was and is a classic Mourinho player. He is athletic, physically imposing, has rhythm, unquestionable quality and knows how to win. He was a rising star when Mourinho first tried to sign him with Real in 2012 and a proven world-class performer when the Portuguese identified him with the winning mentality he was so desperate to inject into his United squad in 2016 and 2017.
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Each time, the stars didn’t line up enough for a deal to be struck, but Mourinho’s long wait is finally over, with the confirmation that Tottenham Hotspur have re-signed the player they sold to Madrid for a world record fee. from £ 85.3 million in August 2013. And now that the two men are ready to work together at Spurs, the timing couldn’t be better for both.
Bale needed to be rescued from his increasingly unsuccessful existence in the Spanish capital, where he had fallen so out of the picture with coach Zinedine Zidane that he failed to win a seat on the plane for the second leg of the League round of 16. of Champions against Manchester. City at the Etihad last month. That omission from the squad was not an isolated event, but it was a confirmation for Bale, if he needed it, that he had to get away from Madrid.
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The fact that his new club simply moves over to his old club is perfect for Bale, as sources close to the player tell ESPN that he places significant value on familiarity and the ability to feel loved, at home, among friends, wherever i play. Those close to Bale within the Wales squad point to his enthusiasm in performing for international duty and how he has never hidden the importance he places on representing his country. Wales has been something of a refuge from tough times at the Royal.
Being around familiar faces again is a big factor in your decision to return to the club where you made a name for yourself. Playing for Mourinho, a manager who has always made his admiration for Bale clear, is another key element in his decision to pick Spurs over the alternative option of waiting for United to put an offer on the table.
After seven years at Real Madrid, Gareth Bale has returned to Tottenham. Getty
But don’t be fooled into believing that Bale only had eyes for Tottenham. Sources have told ESPN that he was drawn to the prospect of playing for United; turned down a move to Old Trafford when he left Southampton for Spurs in 2007 and turned United in favor of Madrid six years later, but he had already been told. Just an endorsement in case they couldn’t sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, the 31-year-old opted to accept the guaranteed offer of first-team football at Spurs. But had United been able to come to an agreement immediately, sources have said that Bale would have been tempted to go to Manchester rather than return to Spurs.
According to ESPN, there are those at Real Madrid who tried to warn Mourinho to stay away from Bale, and the former associates of the Spurs coach at the Bernabéu made it clear that they doubt the player’s ability to rediscover his best form after two seasons. disappointing in Madrid since scoring two goals in the 2018 Champions League final win against Liverpool. He truly believes that Bale’s injuries have caught up with him, but Mourinho is confident that a return to North London will reinvigorate the player and also bring much-needed experience at the big game to his team.
Mourinho wants Bale to add goals and attacking threat, but he also highly values his ability to inspire his new teammates and sharpen the desire for a squad that the former Chelsea, Real and United manager believe lacks drive and a desire to win big. honors. . Bale has that hunger galore and also wants to be part of a Spurs team that realizes its potential by winning the club’s first trophy since the EFL Cup in 2007-08.
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And the importance of being fit when Wales takes part in the delayed Euro 2020 next summer is another reason why Bale has chosen to return to the Premier League, despite having two years left on his contract with Madrid. . Wales coach Ryan Giggs has made it clear to both Bale and Aaron Ramsey, who started just 11 Serie A games with Juventus last season, that he wants them to play regular first-team football this season and, By signing for Spurs, Bale has given himself up. many more possibilities to do so than if he had stayed in Madrid.
Mourinho has given Bale that opportunity, but this is a play where both the player and the coach can help each other. If the long-awaited Mourinho-Bale alliance is a success, it will only be good news for Tottenham. But time will tell if their alliance has come too late for both men to achieve what they really want from the move.
Source: espn.co.uk
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