Real Madrid: Gareth Bale's agent responds to Tottenham links
The Times says Spurs are pushing to take Gareth Bale back to the club, but sources consulted by AS say a deal is unlikely to happen.
Jonathan Barnett, the agent of Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, has dismissed talk emerging on transfer deadline day that his client could be heading back to Tottenham Hotspur.
Bale to Spurs is "crap" says agent
The Daily Mail made contact with Barnett about the rumour that had broken on Friday morning that the Welshman could be on the move from the Spanish capital before the 23:00 cut-off. His reply was simple: "one word: crap!"
Tottenham Hotspur had been pushing to re-sign Bale from Los Blancos in a sensational deadline-day deal, said The Times.
Bale has frequently been tipped to leave the Bernabéu in the past couple of years - coming particularly close to moving to the Chinese Super League last summer - but interest in the Welshman from several clubs has always come to nothing.
On the back of this story, however, Spurs boss José Mourinho reportedly wanted to take the forward back to North London as he bid not only to steer the side back up the Premier League table, but also enjoy a successful run in the Champions League.
Spurs chief Levy unwilling to dig deep for Bale
Harry Kane's long-term injury absence is said to have been a major factor in Tottenham's eagerness to sign Bale, with chairman Daniel Levy believed to have flown to Spain for talks with Madrid chief Florentino Pérez.
Fresh from purchasing Steven Bergwijn from PSV, however, Levy is reportedly unwilling to spend big on the 30-year-old, and sources consulted by AS say a permanent deal is unlikely to be done in the short time left before the window shuts. That appears to now have been put to bed.
The only possibility appears to be a loan, but neither Bale nor Real Madrid are enthusiastic about such a plan.
Zidane plays down Bale exit talk
What's more, Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said on Friday morning that he didn't expect the player to depart the LaLiga club in the immediate future, telling reporters: "Gareth is with us and he's in my plans. I don't see him leaving."