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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti gives loaded Gareth Bale hint amid Tottenham return talk

Flamboyant Welsh winger Gareth Bale spent the 2020/21 season on loan in north London but a return next campaign now looks unlike as freshly-appointed Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has dealt Tottenham’s chances of re-signing Gareth Bale a potential blow, having admitted that he sees the latter’s future in Spain and not in north London.

The multiple-award-winning Italian left Spurs’ Premier League rivals, Everton, on Tuesday, and was immediately parachuted into the Santiago Bernabeu after a six-year hiatus.

Ancelotti had actually arrived at the club originally in the same summer as Bale’s big-money transfer from White Hart Lane, coaching him for two seasons before being shown the exit.

The Welshman’s career spiraled calamitously downwards since, being starved of game time before being sent out on-loan to Tottenham for the 2020/21 campaign, where he still managed to net 16 goals in 34 outings.

That revival in form triggered calls for Bale to remain with Spurs – but Ancelotti appears to have halted those hopes since being officially confirmed as the new Real Madrid boss.

Talking in his first press conference since returning to Real, he said: “Gareth has not played much in the Premier League, but he scored lots of goals, was very effective in recent games when he had a chance to play.

“He is coming back, I know him very well, he will be motivated to play better and have a great season, no doubt.”

Prior to Ancelloti’s re-appointment as the Los Blancos boss, Bale’s future seemingly looked like it was heading for the Real Madrid exit door – which could happen considering that he has just one year remaining on his most recent deal – but the highly-respected Italian admitted that he will give the winger a chance to impress.

“I have a lot of love still for Gareth [Bale], Isco, Marcelo… they will have motivation to show they can still play for Real Madrid,” the former Everton and Chelsea boss said.

“With this squad, without loan players like Bale, Odegaard and Ceballos, Madrid reached UCL semis and fought for La Liga. So we have the players to win trophies.”