EVERTON reportedly want to sign Gareth Bale this summer with boss Carlo Ancelotti keen to reunite with the Welshman.
Bale is on loan at Tottenham from Real Madrid but has had an indifferent season back in the Premier League with his future up in the air.
The 31-year-old speedster has been linked with a move to Goodison Park to join up with Ancelotti, who brought him to the Bernabeu in 2013 and coached him for two seasons.
Spanish journalist Eduardo Inda claims the Italian boss has asked Everton chiefs for Bale as part of his summer transfer plans.
On TV show El Chiringuito, Inda said: “Ancelotti has asked for Bale, a player he always loved when they were together at Real Madrid.
“He wants to take him to Everton.”
Inda claims the Toffees are not prepared to stump up a transfer fee for the former world’s most expensive player.
Madrid paid Tottenham £86million eight years ago but Everton are said to be hoping to broker a deal similar to the one that brought James Rodriguez to Merseyside.
The Colombian midfielder left Los Blancos for Everton in September for what was initially reported as a £22m fee.
However reports emerged from Spain that suggested he had arrived on a free despite having a year left on his contract with Madrid desperate to offload the ace.
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In March, Bale revealed he will return to the Spanish capital when his season-long loan ends in June.
He said: “Going into the Euros I wanted to be match-fit. The original plan was to do a season at Spurs and after the Euros still have a year left at Real Madrid. My plan is to go back, that’s as far I have planned.”
But since then Jose Mourinho has been sacked and Bale has rediscovered top form under interim boss Ryan Mason, smashing a hat-trick against Sheffield United on Sunday.
And reports suggest whoever gets the Spurs job on a full-time basis will have first refusal on agreeing another loan switch this summer.
Spurs currently cough up half of Bale’s mammoth £650,000-a-week Madrid wages.
The astronomical salary expectations of the Welshman could also dent any chances of a move to Everton despite the club looking for a right winger.
Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is not believed to see a future for Bale in his squad and the former Southampton man could be left in limbo if clubs are priced out a move.
It is believed he would be prepared to sit on the bench in LaLiga to collect the wages that are owed to him with his contract still set to run until 2022.
Bale has scored 14 goals and notched three assists in 30 games in all competitions for Spurs this season.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
