Tottenham have first refusal to sign Gareth Bale from Real Madrid this summer

Tottenham Hotspur have first refusal should they wish to sign Gareth Bale on a permanent transfer from Real Madrid this summer.

Bale re-joined Spurs on loan last summer having initially left for Madrid in 2013 and has found form as the season has progressed.

The Welshman was exiled from Zinedine Zidane's squad and had been linked with an exit from the club for some time, before finally managing to seal a temporary return to Tottenham on a season-long loan deal last September.

There remains uncertainty over Bale's future beyond the end of the season, but Eurosport report that Spurs have first refusal on him should they wish to sign him permanently when his loan expires.

The report claims Daniel Levy agreed to a deal on first refusal in the process of negotiating Bale's temporary return to north London last summer, and the club are keen for the 31-year-old to stay.

Levy remains a big admirer of Bale, who has won four Champions Leagues in between his spells at Tottenham, and wishes to see him ply his trade for the club once again in front of a sold out Spurs crowd.

Bale himself has expressed his delight at being back with Tottenham this season, and has finally found his feet after a difficult start to the campaign.

Many began to doubt the return after he featured in just four Premier League games before Christmas, but Bale's return to full fitness in 2021 has yielded goals and assists in a much more characteristic run of form.

He has featured in each of Spurs' last six league games and currently sits on ten goals and three assists in all competitions. And with Son Heung-min recently suffering a hamstring injury, Bale may need to step his game up another level to help Tottenham end the season on