With Gareth Bale out of contract at Real Madrid in June, inevitable rumours of another Tottenham reunion have resurfaced.
Some Spanish reports claimed in February that Bale is set to return to Tottenham for a third spell as a free agent when his contract expires this summer. Conte will be looking for an overhaul of his Spurs squad in key positions this summer after the process began in January.
The Welshman enjoyed a successful second spell in north London last season, scoring 11 goals in the Premier League in just 20 appearances. Whilst he's unpopular with many Real Madrid fans, he's always been loved by the Spurs faithful and as a result, another return has always been naturally mooted.
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Even though Bale has been lacking in game time at Madrid this season, his recent performance for Wales in their 2-1 victory over Austria suggests that he's still capable of producing magic moments. His two goals in that vital World Cup qualifier led to him being praised by former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, who says that he still looks sharp.
“For a player that isn’t playing regularly, his two goals the other night were fantastic,” Keane told ITV Sport, via HITC. “Okay the free-kick, but the second goal was just, the sharpness from him.
“His stats for Wales, over the last six, seven or eight years, in terms of goals and assists have been fantastic. And considering he hasn’t been playing regularly at club level. Fair play to the kid, he has done brilliantly.”
Keane's words are likely not enough to tempt Spurs into re-signing Bale, but they do make it clear that he can still play a key role for one of Europe's better teams.
