Gareth Bale would be a welcome addition back at Tottenham, admits Chris Waddle, but Spurs have been warned against “breaking the bank” to re-sign the Welshman from Real Madrid.
A retracing of the 30-year-old’s steps continues to be mooted in the winter transfer window.
Criticism continues to be aimed in Bale’s direction at Santiago Bernabeu, with form and fitness issues remaining a concern.
It has been suggested for some time now that a move elsewhere could be made, offering a clean slate to the Wales international.
Spurs would happily welcome a global superstar back onto their books, but Waddle says a raid on Real should only be considered if the price is right.
The former Tottenham winger told the Racing Post: “Gareth Bale might be a short-term solution to Mourinho’s goalscoring woes but I wouldn’t be breaking the bank to bring him back.
“I’m a big fan of Bale, I think he’s a wonderful player and Spurs fans would welcome him with open arms.
“But you’ve got to ask yourself what would you be getting for a vast sum of money. Is he on the pitch enough to make the investment worthwhile?
“You look at Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and they are on the pitch for 90 per cent or more of the season. Bale? Probably nearer 50 and he’s not getting any younger.
“If it was the right deal at the right price then without a shadow of a doubt you’d snap him up. But if you were expecting to have to fork out £300k a week or more then I’d be looking elsewhere.”
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While Waddle would be wary of entering into talks with Real Madrid over a deal for Bale, he believes that Spurs should be looking to bring in Luka Jovic as cover for the injured Harry Kane.
The ex-England international added: “Jose Mourinho knows he needs a new frontman with Harry Kane out for a while but they aren’t easy to come by in the transfer window.
“Heung-Min Son and Lucas Moura can do a job up top on their own but for all the threat they offer, they haven't got the same presence as Kane in the box which teammates are looking for.
“They need someone getting on the end of chances and maybe someone like Luka Jovic is the answer. I know there has been an interest.
“Real Madrid seem to be saying that they want him to bed in there rather than go anywhere, yet he’s obviously struggling in Spain.
“There were big expectations when he came from Germany, where he was prolific in a really good Frankfurt frontline in a league where there are lots of goals scored, but La Liga is tougher.
“It might be a good bit of business for Madrid to say to Spurs: ‘You can have him until the summer, see if you can get him up and firing and then we’ll have him back’.”
