Gareth Bale has been warned that Manchester United may be the only Premier League option available to him, with former Wales international Robbie Savage seeing few other routes back to England from Real Madrid.
Speculation continues to suggest that the ex-Tottenham winger could be retracing his steps in the next transfer window.
Various landing spots are being mooted, with a second stint at Spurs or a big-money switch to Old Trafford considered to be the most likely options.
Savage is struggling to see how Bale could be brought back to north London, leaving the 29-year-old waiting on possible interest from Manchester if he is to seek a way out of the Santiago Bernabeu.
“If Gareth Bale leaves Real Madrid this summer – there are suggestions he may not fit into returning coach Zinedine Zidane’s long-term plans - then he could be coming back to England,” Savage told The Mirror of a man who continues to shine for Wales amid questions of his club future.
“United would be his most realistic hope of a ticket back to the Premier League.
“Manchester City don’t need him, Tottenham can’t afford his wages with a new stadium to pay for, Chelsea could be under a transfer ban and he probably wouldn’t go to Arsenal as a former Spurs player.
“That doesn’t leave Bale with many other options in England.”
Bale has offered no indication as yet that he will be pushing for a move away from Madrid.
His agent has sought to quash the exit talk on a regular basis, claiming that his client is happy in Spain and prepared to honour his contract.
That deal at the Bernabeu is due to run until 2022.
Bale passed the 100-goal mark for Real this yearh, his sixth season with the club, but has faced more criticism of his form and fitness to spark the speculation regarding a possible move elsewhere.
United are expected to spend big this summer, and may seek to bolster their attacking options, but it remains to be seen if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decides to launch a raid for a Welshman proven at the highest level.