Tottenham isn’t Gareth Bale’s team anymore

Among the tallest of tales to come out of Tottenham’s transfer window so far is also its newest: Gareth Bale is on his way home.

The Sun — because of course it’s the Sun — passes on this latest rumor, claiming that Tottenham are due first option is Bale is indeed the subject of a bid from Manchester United.

That itself is not surprising. When Bale was sold to Real Madrid in 2013, there were rumors that a clause was included that would prevent the Spanish giants from selling him back to one of Spurs’ Premier League rivals. Leave it to Daniel Levy to cover all possible bases.

Now, with Jose Mourinho vocally hunting down the Welshman, suddenly Spurs are in a position to sign to make Bale a true prodigal son.

More from Tottenham Transfer Rumours

• Tottenham’s Pierre Hojbjerg to Manchester United transfer rumour
• Tottenham transfer window state of the union
• Tottenham Hotspur sends two players out on loan
• Tottenham’s striker search continues: Brennan Johnson update
• Tottenham’s pursuit of a 21-year-old Gift heats ups

It won’t be cheap, of course. Real only just committed to Bale in recent days, rightfully recognizing that Cristiano Ronaldo — who turned 32 in February — can’t be this good forever. So to win their man United will need to break their own transfer record once again, and presumably Spurs will be obliged to match it.

Those of us who remember Bale’s glory days at Tottenham should be forgiven for being a bit drunk off of such a possibility. It is no exaggeration to say that Bale carried Tottenham on his back in his final season with the club. He was and is a singular talent, genuinely one of the most innovative and dangerous players in the game.

Once we sober up a bit though, we must acknowledge that Tottenham simply isn’t the same team that Bale left. Mauricio Pochettino’s revolution arrived just one year after Bale’s departure, and since then it has produced some of the best players and best football the club has seen in half a century. Spurs, simply put, became a better team without Gareth Bale.

Re-integrating him into the club now might not be impossible, but it does feel especially impractical. Tactics and rosters would need to be changed to better suit him. No more narrow 3-4-2-1. No more swashbuckling runs by Heung-min Son. And, crucially, no more wage cap. Barring an extreme bout of nostalgic selflessness, there is little chance that Bale settles for £100,000 a week.

Even if those obstacles are surmountable, is there any confidence that Bale can play in a pressing system? No doubt he remains supremely adaptable, but is he willing and able to take on the additional responsibility of closing opponents down when out of possession? It’s hard to say with any certainty.

Next: Tottenham Player Preview: Jan Vertonghen

In short, there seems little reason for Spurs to spend money they don’t have on player they don’t need. Club legend or no, Spurs have evolved beyond Bale.