A decision over Gareth Bale’s future will be made by Tottenham’s next permanent manager, according to reports.
The Wales international returned to north London from Real Madrid last summer on a season-long loan deal.
Spurs have the option to extend the arrangement by another 12 months, with Bale appearing to have no future at Madrid for as long as Zinedine Zidane is in charge.
According to the Daily Mail, chairman Daniel Levy will not make a decision on whether to extend Bale’s deal until he has appointed a manager.
Ryan Mason is serving as interim boss until the end of the campaign following the sacking of Jose Mourinho last month.
The Portuguese was relieved of his duties after just 18 months as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor.
Recent reports stated that Mourinho was unhappy with Levy’s decision to sign Bale on loan last summer.
The Welshman was a peripheral figure under Tottenham’s former manager, racking up just six starts in the Premier League.
And Levy is determined to avoid making the same mistake again, despite Bale’s stunning hat-trick against Sheffield United at the weekend.
There is a feeling at Tottenham that Bale could be a major asset next term, while it would also be costly to replace him.
Spurs are paying the 31-year-old around £240,000 per week, with Madrid making up the rest of his wages.
That amounts to around £12m per year, and Levy knows that Tottenham would be unlikely to find an adequate replacement for a smaller sum.
Bale would have to agree to stay at Tottenham for another year, and the player himself might be waiting to see who Mourinho’s successor will be before he makes up his mind.
Julian Nagelsmann, Erik ten Hag and Brendan Rodgers have all, either directly or indirectly, ruled themselves out of the running.
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