Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho says Real Madrid will decide whether Gareth Bale spends another season on loan in north London.
Bale put his Madrid nightmare behind him to rejoin Spurs on a year-long loan in September and there is understood to be an option of a second.
The Wales international's recent return to form makes him an exciting proposition after a difficult first few months back at the club where he became the world's most expensive player.
But Mourinho insists any chance of Bale, 31, staying at Spurs for next season is in Madrid's hands.
Good vibes ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/nGeDUAludf — Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) March 2, 2021
Asked whether he would like to keep him next term, Mourinho said ahead of Thursday's game at Fulham: "In relation to that you should contact your colleagues in Madrid and they should ask (Zinedine) Zidane as he is a Real Madrid player.
"He is not a Tottenham player so Real Madrid have everything in their hands. They have a player with one year of contract and have the power in their hands.
"I just have a player on loan and I am trying to take the best out of the player for Tottenham Hotspur.
"We try to take care of the player we have on loan for us but also for the respect we have for the club who loans the player.
"If you want to ask anything about Gareth's future ask your colleagues in Madrid to ask Zidane."
Bale was an outcast under Zidane for much of his last two years in Spain and that impacted on his return to Spurs.
It did not help that he arrived in September injured and the following few months saw him battling regular fitness issues, which left him on the bench for a large number of games.
Mourinho says that the injuries took a mental toll on Bale, who is now happy in an environment he enjoys.
"It is a very personal thing when a player has injuries, I believe that a player always has scars," he added.
"And many times the scars are not just the physical scars they are the emotional scars. A player who has injuries until he gets free and clean emotionally takes some time.
"You just have to be patient and in his case we did nothing. We took care of him the best we could and we will until the last day.
"So we put everything around him at his disposal. Coaching staff, medical staff, sports science. And I believe that the friends he has in the dressing room play a role in his happiness.
"So he is happy but of course he is missing that happiness related to performing at a high level. At this moment he is there, he is happy and clean and hopefully we can manage his minutes, his matches and his feelings.
"And I repeat he is responsible, we give him that responsibility as he is the one who has the knowledge of his body and of course our communication is very, very good. And we are managing the situation as best we can."
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