Gareth Bale, once the world’s most expensive footballer and the British player who has achieved more than any other with a club abroad, is close to returning to England and bringing to an end a saga at Real Madrid that turned sour.
Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, who sold Bale to Madrid for £85 million (Dh402m) in 2013, are hopeful of bringing him back to North London.
Talks between Spurs and Madrid advanced on Wednesday, initially about a loan deal, which has the blessing of Bale, although the player's representative described negotiations as "complicated".
The principal sticking points have been the proportion of Bale’s huge salary that Tottenham would agree to fund during any loan. The Welshman, who won four Champions League titles with Madrid before he fell out of favour, is believed to earn around £600,000 per week.
That is well over twice the wage of Spurs’s top earner, Harry Kane, but Tottenham are willing to shatter their salary ceiling for what they consider a unique set of circumstances.
Spurs manager Jose Mourinho has been pushing for the addition of a high-class goalscorer in this transfer window, which is open until early October, and the arrival of Bale would be a popular homecoming in the eyes of many Tottenham supporters.
He became a superstar in the Spurs jersey, having joined the club as a 17-year-old from Southampton, and led a revival, helping Spurs to qualify for the Champions League for first time during his six seasons there.
He was twice voted Footballer of the Year by his peers in England– 2011 and '13, – reward for thrilling performances as an striker with electric speed, strength and poise in the penalty area, and expertise with a dead ball.
“There’s no reason why he can’t carry on where he left off,” said Harry Redknapp, who was Spurs manager during Bale’s rise.
But Bale, now 31, has barely had the opportunity to show he remains world-class over the last 12 months.
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Bale's greatest goals for Real
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In July 2019, he was told explicitly by Real manager Zinedine Zidane he could leave – “the sooner the better” according to the Frenchman.
Zidane was speaking under instruction from the club, who no longer felt Bale, who in 2016 signed a contract until 2022, was good value for his salary.
Bale was at that stage ready to consider a transfer to Jiangsu Suning in the Chinese Super League but Real would not sanction it because there was no transfer fee involved.
Zidane selected Bale sporadically last season, and in a gesture that showed the coach had no personal issue with the player, picked him to start the first three matches of the 2019-20 Liga season.
In the third of those, Bale scored both goals in a 2-2 draw against Villarreal before being sent off. That was last September; he has not scored a La Liga goal since.
Injuries account for some his absences from the Madrid team last season, and various muscular problems have hampered him during his time in Spain, notably during Zidane’s two periods in charge.
By the time Madrid finished last season, putting together a run of victories in the post-lockdown phase to win the title, Bale was a marginal figure, and on two occasions was photographed looking uninterested in the stands as his colleagues closed in on the Spanish championship.
He has been portrayed in the Spanish media as aloof and distant, as devoted to playing golf, a consuming hobby, as he is to Madrid.
When, after a match for Wales, for whom he continues to shine, he posed in front a banner that read 'Wales, Gold, Madrid, In That Order,' a mocking reference to what some madridistas list as his order of priorities, it made a bad impression at the Bernabeu.
Zidane has consistently spoken up for Bale’s professionalism, however, and reminded that “he has done great things for this club.”
He has 105 Madrid goals to his name. In his first season there, 2013-14, he scored a breathtaking solo goal to win the Copa del Rey.
Weeks later, he scored in extra-time of the Champions League final victory over Atletico Madrid, ending Real’s 12-year wait for a European Cup.
Three more followed, including the 2016 triumph, in which Bale scored in the decisive penalty-shoot and the 2018 final, in which he came off the bench to score twice in the 3-1 win over Liverpool, the first of his goals a sensational overhead-kick.
Soon after the final whistle, he openly expressed his frustrations at not having been selected by Zidane to start that final.
More than two years on, Spurs envisage Bale as the sort of impact signing that would galvanise a season that began at the weekend with a home defeat to Everton.
On Wednesday, Mourinho pointedly took the opportunity to recall that, back in 2012 when he was still coaching Madrid, he had pushed Real to sign Bale a year earlier than they actually bought him from Spurs. “I tried and it was not possible,” said Mourinho, “I think Gareth knows that.”
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Squads
India (for first three ODIs) Kohli (capt), Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Jadhav, Rahane, Dhoni, Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Umesh, Shami.
Australia Smith (capt), Warner, Agar, Cartwright, Coulter-Nile, Cummins, Faulkner, Finch, Head, Maxwell, Richardson, Stoinis, Wade, Zampa.
FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
MATCH INFO
FA Cup final
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
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Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
South Africa squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
QUALIFYING RESULTS
1. Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1 minute, 35.246 seconds.
2. Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Mercedes, 1:35.271.
3. Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 1:35.332.
4. Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.497.
5. Alexander Albon, Thailand, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1:35.571.
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.815.
7. Daniil Kvyat, Russia, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:35.963.
8. Lance Stroll, Canada, Racing Point BWT Mercedes, 1:36.046.
9. Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 1:36.065.
10. Pierre Gasly, France, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:36.242.
Eliminated after second session
11. Esteban Ocon, France, Renault, 1:36.359.
12. Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, Renault, 1:36.406.
13. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Ferrari, 1:36.631.
14. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:38.248.
Eliminated after first session
15. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.075.
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.555.
17. Kevin Magnussen, Denmark, Haas Ferrari, 1:37.863.
18. George Russell, Great Britain, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.045.
19. Pietro Fittipaldi, Brazil, Haas Ferrari, 1:38.173.
20. Nicholas Latifi, Canada, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.443.
Profile box
Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
