Tottenham loan deal could end up being worst in club history

If things don’t improve quickly, Gareth Bale’s return to Tottenham could turn out to the be worst loan deal in club history. 

It’s time to call a spade a spade.

Bale’s second stint in North London has been nothing short of an utter disaster. Troubled by injury ailments and a desperately obvious inability to elevate his fitness to the required level, Bale has made a negligible impact on first team proceedings.

Jose Mourinho hasn’t exactly provided Bale with the platform to succeed in his second stint at Spurs. But the onus on this occasion falls squarely on Bale’s shoulders. The gaffer’s intentions were clear from the offset: to bring Bale up to speed gradually, sheltering him from exposure to the harsh reality of the Premier League. Overall, a sound strategy, especially for a player who hasn’t been at his best for a couple of years.

Jose reintroduced Bale to the fold with Tottenham comfortably leading 3-0 away to West Ham. It was the ideal moment to bring him on.

Until it wasn’t.

Spurs ended up coughing up their three-goal lead in a span of 12 horrifying minutes, letting West Ham vanquish 82 minutes of sterling football.

Unfortunately Bale, four months ago on his debut, was a part of that debacle, 12 minutes that defined both Bale and Spurs’ season. Whether Jose admits it or not, a part of him probably still finds Bale, and all his Champions league might, partly culpable for allowing the capitulation.

Since then, Bale has barely earned a sniff, often introduced when the outcome is already decided. Usually he is called upon when Spurs are down two goals with only 10 minutes to play, offering almost no chance to make an impression.

Though his recent cameo appearances as a substitute doesn’t paint the whole picture. Jose has started Bale twice this season, of which both ended in abject failure. His recent start against Brighton was the most telling, with Bale miles off the pace, sheepish and confused for large portions of the 1-0 loss. He was withdrawn in the 61st minute of that encounter.

His astronomical price tag turns this disappointing tale into a recurring nightmare. Tottenham are purportedly paying Bale in the region of £200,000 per week, which equates to about a third of his entire weekly salary at parent club Real Madrid.

His swollen salary acts as the kicker, the rub that, without a sharp and quick turnaround from the Welshman, will manifest into Tottenham’s worst ever loan deal.

I was one of many who got caught up in the nostalgia and reverie of bringing him back to Spurs. Securing a loan deal a few years ago would have made more sense, but Madrid were, for obvious reasons, unwilling to relinquish a pivotal part of their championship-calibre team.

Hopefully for everyone’s sake, Gareth shows us more than a fleeting moment of magic against City in yet another cameo appearance, cruelly reminding us of what once was.