Spurs could have made a last-minute transfer bomb.
However, the Welshman has stayed put.
Tottenham‘s interest in re-signing Bale prompted chairman Daniel Levy to skip across Europe for talks with Real Madrid counterpart Florentino Perez, reports claim. Spurs reportedly believed a “breakthrough” had been made in the hours before the window closed and had “growing confidence” a deal could be agreed.
But, per the Daily Mail, Bale’s reluctance to take a pay cut on his £600,000-per-week wages meant negotiations came unstuck. The report claims head coach Mourinho was “fully behind” the ultimately fruitless attempt to pull off what would have been a statement of intent.
Tottenham forced to abandon audacious bid to bring Gareth Bale back to the club https://t.co/hAhfygEjvu
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) January 31, 2020
Tottenham, it is understood, even went to the extent of sending representatives to Madrid to negotiate a potential deal with their Real counterparts. With Bale reluctant to take a pay cut – and Spurs knowing they couldn’t match his wages – the Premier League club knew they had to be creative in structuring a deal that would suit all parties.
One option would have seen Tottenham pay Real a fee of around €54 million for Bale, which would then be paid directly back to the Welshman, whose current deal expires in 2022, with Tottenham then paying the attacker the shortfall in his €37 million salary over a two-and-half-year deal.
There was a degree of hope as late as Thursday that a deal was possible but the finances attached to the deal ultimately proved too prohibitive.
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