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Gareth Bale return an option for Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino

By Andy Thompson

Thursday 21 January 2016 18:35, UK

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Mauricio Pochettino would be interested in bringing Gareth Bale back to Tottenham

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino says he would be interested in bringing Gareth Bale back to White Hart Lane from Real Madrid.

The Football Leaks website have published what they claim is a document that shows Tottenham have the first option to buy Bale back from Real if another Premier League club tries to sign him.

That would mean that if another Premier League club puts in an offer for Bale before June 30, 2019, Spurs have 72 hours to match the offer - and if they do, Real have to sell him back to Spurs.

"I think if we have the option to sign him - why not?" said Pochettino. "He's a great player and a player that can improve our squad."

The document also claims Bale's 2013 move from Tottenham to Real was a world-record transfer, something consistently denied by the Spanish club.

Gareth Bale of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and RC Deportivo La Coruna
Image: Tottenham are reported to have first option on their former player Gareth Bale

Real insist the deal for Bale was not as big as the one that took Cristiano Ronaldo to the Bernabeu from Manchester United in 2009.

The 10-time European champions say the fee for Bale was £70.38m - more than £3m short of Ronaldo's transfer fee.

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However, the Football Leaks document shows that Real paid £77.45m, for Bale with the money paid in installments rather than in one 'up-front' payment.

It is also claimed Real promised Bale would not make any negative comments about Spurs or club chairman Daniel Levy.

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