Tottenham Nearing Gareth Bale Transfer As Manchester United Focuses On 'Other Priorities'

Tottenham Hotspur is now in talks with Real Madrid to sign Gareth Bale as Manchester United stays focused on its “other priorities,” reports said.

Aside from Sergio Reguilon, Bale is one of the Los Blancos stars heavily linked to a move away from Bernabeu this transfer window. Tottenham and United are eager to make a swoop for the Madrid winger, but the former has now emerged as the frontrunner.

Tottenham is negotiating a deal with the La Liga champion to re-sign Bale, who is “keen” on joining the English club as well, David Ornstein of The Athletic reported. Tottenham and Bale have yet to reach an agreement, but the Premier League club has a “special place” in the heart of the 31-year-old.

Bale's agent, Jonathan Barnett, also confirmed to Associated Press that the Wales winger wants to go back to the club he left years ago.

“That’s where he wants to go,” Barnett told the AP.

United, meanwhile, is only considering Bale as a loan player.

Prior to Spurs and Madrid negotiations for Bale, sources told ESPN that United's interest in the four-time Champions League winner was serious, but the club was “focusing on other priorities” at this stage.

Any transfer move concerning Bale would also depend on the outcome of United’s pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho. Sources said United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer only sees Bale as a backup option should a move for top target Sancho not come to fruition.

According to the report, Madrid is open to selling Bale, but if a deal will not push through, a subsidized loan deal between his parent club and United could be possible in which the player would earn a salary of £600,000 ($773,000) a week.

Bale, who once rejected an offer from United to sign with Madrid in 2013, is said to be aware that the Red Devils are prioritizing Sancho above everybody else.

But should everything go smoothly for Tottenham, Bale will make his return to the Premier League seven years after he left for Los Blancos via a staggering £85.3 million ($110 million) transfer deal.

Meanwhile, United is in talks with Madrid for a transfer deal for Reguilon, according to recent reports from Spain. The Red Devils got a boost in its pursuit of the 23-year-old after his loaning club, Sevilla, signed a replacement for him in Marcos Acuna from Sporting CP.

However, Tottenham may beat United for the left-back as well as The Athletic confirmed that the club is already closing in on a permanent deal to sign Reguilon.

No deals have been signed yet, but Reguilon joining the Spurs this window is “highly possible,” the report said.