Jose Mourinho claims £20m Gareth Bale is the missing piece of his Spurs jigsaw

Jose Mourinho has claimed Tottenham’s mega-money deal for Gareth Bale will be the £20m missing piece of the jigsaw.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is “close” to sealing an incredible one-year deal for Bale to return to White Hart Lane with Spurs paying £250,000-a-week in wages plus a £10m loan fee.

It is a huge coup for Tottenham and Mourinho believes it will give his squad a massive boost as they chase a place in the top four this season.

Spurs boss Mourinho said: “A squad is a puzzle. When a new signing completes the puzzle it’s great for the team.

“Three more weeks, the market is open, both ways. The market is open and when the market is open in football you have to be always waiting for something to happen. So let’s see what happens to us.”

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Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett is in talks with Spurs and Real Madrid to try and make the deal happen as the Wales star is on £600,000-a-week in Spain. Barnett admitted Bale has already spoken to Mourinho and wants to move to Spurs.

Real Madrid would like a permanent deal but Spurs are only discussing a loan but the Spanish giants are ready to accept a big loan fee and also subsidise his wages to get him off the books.

Barnett said: “There’s a long way to go on some issues, but without doubt Gareth is closer to leaving Madrid than at any time in last seven years.

“The deal is complicated, but there’s reason to believe a deal is close and things could move very quickly if discussions continue to go well. Gareth has spoken to Jose and explained how Spurs have a special place in his heart.”

But Mourinho has insisted that he does not want Dele Alli to be part of the deal and Real Madrid are also keeping the Bale loan move separate even from another transfer to Spurs with left back Sergio Reguilon set to join for £25m.

Mourinho substituted Alli at half time on Sunday but said: “That is my job to make these decisions and to try the best for the team when I am not happy with the performance. There is no story. It is just that.

“Dele’s a very polite guy, very calm, I think he’s a bit introspective. When you think a lot about things, so I think the way he reacted was Dele. Was quiet, was sad but in the end after the game he was just one of many.

“But again, I repeat, he’s a good boy. Very, very polite and I never saw from him, in here, with myself, with the others, a strong reaction. A good boy, a really good boy.”

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