Spurs are unlikely to try and bring Gareth Bale back to north London for a third time – when his contract in Spain runs out in the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte’s primary focus at the moment is finding a striker who will give Harry Kane competition and rest at the same time.
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There is a general feeling within the team that Kane has been mentally and physically fatigued, and a rotation schedule like the one Mauricio Pochettino had in his final season will do the England captain a world of good.
LondonWorld also understands there is growing interest in Brighton Hove and Albion’s right back Tariq Lamptey, who is exciting a lot of Conte’s backroom staff.
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Spurs were given a run around by Chelsea in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, and Conte wants to prioritise key areas with young players who are hungry and eager to progress.
This means Gareth Bale – with his high wages – doesn’t fit the kind of profile of player that the Italian is looking for.
The Welshman is an interesting preposition, and he will have a lot of suitors in Europe when his contract runs out, but it’s hard to see where he would fit in at Tottenham under Conte.
Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Gareth Bale and Spain midfielder Isco are the main candidates to leave Real Madrid in January as both players have their contracts running out in the summer (Marca)
Bale considering retirement
While Gareth Bale will be taking his time to explore his options this summer, The Athletic have reported that he is considering retiring from football.
This decision would depend on whether Wales succeed in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
Wales face Austria in the semi-final of the play-offs in March and, if they win, will later take on either Scotland or Ukraine to battle it out for a place in Qatar.
Reports also claim that, even if Wales do qualify, Bale won’t necessarily sign for a team at the highest level as his sole concentration will be to keep fit to help out his country.
The 32-year-old has only featured three times in La Liga this season – scoring once.
It is believed that, while Bale may have more to offer, he has enjoyed enough success during his club career – winning the Spanish title twice and also lifting the Champions League trophy four times.
The final piece to Bale’s jigsaw would be enjoying success with his country, with Wales still waiting to qualify for a World Cup for the first time since 1958.