Gareth Bale's future is up in the air now more than ever, with neither Real Madrid nor Tottenham Hotspur holding any ambitions of utilising the Welsh superstar beyond this season.
The 31-year-old landed his dream return to north London in the summer transfer window on a season-long loan, and all parties were hoping he'd recapture his form of old and convince Spurs to extend his stay into the next campaign.
But his loan spell with Jose Mourinho's side has been a disaster thus far, so much so that Spurs are no longer interested in retaining the player for the 2021/22 season. And that news spells problems for Madrid, according to Marca.
Los Blancos were hoping to have rid themselves of the Bale dilemma by sending him to the Premier League, but they will have to face the exact same issues next summer. Zinedine Zidane has no intention of utilising the Wales international, and the winger would now occupy one of their precious non-European Union spots, of which each La Liga club is only allowed to register five.
Along with Bale, Madrid also have Vinícius Jr, Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Reinier Jesus Carvalho and Takefusa Kubo as non-EU players, meaning Zidane will have to omit one of these stars from his registered squad next year.
Madrid are also aware that Bale will not terminate his contract prematurely, meaning they will be forced to pay his wages until the summer of 2022, when his deal finally expires. The former Southampton star is one of the club's biggest earners however, and they will need to free up some space on the wage bill before seriously reinvesting in other areas of the squad.
And given his advancing years and decrease in quality, it's unlikely that any club would take the risk on such a heavy investment.
So, it was imperative for los Merengues that this loan spell at Spurs would be a success, but unfortunately, it has proven to be anything but a happy reunion. He has yet to complete a full 90 minutes of Premier League football this season, and separate injuries to his calf and knee have sidelined him for periods throughout the campaign.
Even when fully fit however, he has failed to make it off the bench on seven occasions, showing how little value Mourinho believes he can bring to the team. That's something which both Spurs and Madrid agree on, and it leaves Bale's future in a very precarious situation.
Source : 90min