Gareth Bale has completed his incredible loan move to Tottenham – seven years after leaving the club.
The Real Madrid outcast, 31, was all smiles as he arrived in London to finalise the deal on Friday.
Tottenham, who have forked out £20million in wages and loan fees to secure the deal, simply Tweeted: “Bale. Is. Back. Welcome home Gareth Bale.”
The Champions League winner will take the No 9 shirt.
Left-back Sergio Reguilon was also unveiled on Saturday evening as the club completed a double deal with Los Blancos.
Welshman Bale left Spurs to join Real Madrid in a then-world record 85m move in 2013.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said he did not say anything to Bale before he left to sign for Tottenham Hotspur but insisted he had no personal issue with the Wales forward and praised what he did for the Spanish club.
“I did not speak to him,” Zidane told a news conference ahead of Real’s first game in La Liga away to Real Sociedad on Sunday, where they will begin their title defence.
“But I know what he has done for this club. He always proved his quality and what he has achieved with the club cannot be argued with.”
While Bale was key to Real winning the 2016 Champions League in Zidane’s first season, he was absent from most of the second campaign due to injuries and never managed to re-establish himself as a first-choice player for the Frenchman, even after scoring twice in the 2018 final against Liverpool.
But Zidane disagreed with the perception he forced Bale out.
“It’s not like that. It’s more complicated. With Bale it’s always about one side against the other. But I’ve never had a problem with Gareth.
“There will always be things that happen. Now he’s making a change, all we can do is wish him the best… These things happen in football, but I’ve always said he was a spectacular player.”
There will now be more expectation on Real’s joint-most expensive player, Eden Hazard, whose debut season was marred by two ankle injuries.
The Belgian did not make the squad list against Sociedad, nor did fellow forward Marco Asensio.
“We have more time to prepare for the season and all he needs to do is ensure he gets to 100 or 120% fitness,” Zidane added on Hazard.
Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard has been included in the squad though and could make his first league appearance for Real since 2015, having returned after a successful year on loan with Sociedad.
