Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has hailed Gareth Bale as one of the best players in the world and believes he will be a huge asset for Tottenham after the north Londoners agreed a sensational return for the Welshman.
Bale touched down at Luton Airport on Friday afternoon along with Real Madrid teammate Sergio Reguilon – who is moving to Spurs on a permanent deal – and the pair were immediately whisked away to the club’s training ground.
The Spanish left-back enjoyed an excellent campaign last season, winning the Europa League while on loan at Sevilla, though Bale fell out of favour with Zinedine Zidane and started just one match since March.
Nevertheless, despite Bale’s difficult 2019/20 campaign, Lampard – who faced off against the 31-year-old in his playing days – still believes he is great player who can turn Spurs into real contenders.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference before facing Liverpool on Sunday, Lampard said: ‘Gareth Bale is an incredible player, incredible individual talent, who we remember very well from his days at Tottenham.
‘We’ve also seen from afar the incredible success he’s had a Real Madrid and if he does come to Tottenham – and I keep seeing that it’s virtually going to happen soon – then I think he’s going to be a big addition to their squad, of course.
‘They have fantastic individuals and if they get Gareth Bale then they add one for sure. He’s one of the best players in the world in my opinion over the last four or five seasons.’
Bale only netted two goals and registered two assists in 16 La Liga appearances last season, the majority coming off the bench, after falling out with Zidane.
Real were desperate to offload him and have agreed to subsidise a large portion of his £600,000-a-week salary to facilitate his loan move to Tottenham, with Spurs paying no fee, while the north London club are believed to have secured an option to extend the loan into next season too.
