Mourinho refuses to comment on Bale transfer speculation
VIDEO SHOWS: JOSE MOURINHO PRESS CONFERENCE AT WHICH HE TALKS ABOUT GARETH BALE
SHOWS: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 16, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOSE MOURINHO, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, SAYING:
"Gareth Bale is a Real Madrid player, I don't comment on players from other clubs."
2. WHITE FLASH
3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOSE MOURINHO, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, SAYING:
"That's not my job to have contacts with agents. Honestly I don't want to comment on that and again, especially regarding players that are players from other clubs."
4. WHITE FLASH
5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOSE MOURINHO, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, SAYING:
"I tried to sign him for Real Madrid which was not possible to do during my time there, but the president followed my instinct and followed my knowledge and the season I left he brought Gareth to the club.
"There is no secret on that, I think even Gareth knows that, but I'm not going to speak about him anymore because he's a Real Madrid player."
STORY: Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho refused to comment on Wednesday (September 16) about reports that the club are in talks with Real Madrid to re-sign winger Gareth Bale.
Bale's agent said on Tuesday that talks are taking place as the Wales international looks to end his troubled spell at the Spanish club.
At a press conference ahead of Spurs' Europa League second round qualifying match against Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Plovdiv on Thursday, Mourinho said he would not discuss other teams players, although he did say he had tried to sign Bale while managing both Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Bale made over 200 appearances for Premier League Spurs between 2007 and 2013, scoring 56 goals with 58 assists before his then world record move to Real for 100 million euros ($118.46 million).
The 31-year-old has scored over 100 goals for the Madrid side and won numerous trophies, including four Champions League titles, but was give limited playing time under Zinedine Zidane towards the end of last season's La Liga triumph.
"Gareth still loves Spurs," his agent Jonathan Barnett told the BBC on Tuesday. "We are talking (Spurs, Real and Bale's camp). It's where he wants to be."
Bale endured his worst season at the Spanish club in 2019-20 with only three goals in all competitions and admitted earlier this month that he would consider a return to the Premier League if Real allow him to end his stint in Spain.
The Welshman has a contract until 2022 and was set to make a lucrative move to the Chinese Super League last year before the transfer was scuttled when Real made a last-minute decision to insist on a transfer fee rather than terminate his contract.
Bale has divided opinion among the club's fanbase, with some supporters frustrated by a perceived lack of commitment from the Welshman.
He did not feature in their final seven league matches as they pipped Barcelona to the Liga title while he watched on from the bench.
Spurs boss Jose Mourinho had said before their season-opening 1-0 defeat by Everton on Sunday that he wanted the club to sign a striker before the transfer window closes on Oct. 5.
Spurs, who finished sixth last season, signed midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and right back Matt Doherty while goalkeeper Joe Hart was recruited as a free agent in the close season.
(Production: Andy Ragg)
