The Reasons Tottenham Must Re-Sign Gareth Bale
It was September 1 2013, just before the summer window slammed shut, when Gareth Bale made the move from Tottenham to Real Madrid.
Spurs sampled what life would be like without Bale in a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates on that very day, when the Welshman wasn't in the team.
Seven years later, Bale's frosty relationship with Los Blancos' boss Zinedene Zidane has the winger on the cusp of departing the world's most successful club, with Tottenham currently in pole position to sign the mercurial forward.
A return to north London would be great business for all involved, and here's why Spurs should do it.
1. The Nostalgia Factor
We'll get onto how he fits in soon, but let's begin with the nostalgia factor.
When Gareth Bale and Tottenham are mentioned, a few iconic moments come to mind.
That hat-trick at the San Siro in Tottenham's debut UEFA Champions League campaign, giving Maicon nightmares as Spurs beat reigning champions Inter, the last-gasp goal against West Ham.
To have the man that did all those things at the club return, would be truly spectacular for Spurs fans.
2. Son-Kane-Bale
How exciting does that sound?
While Bale is a versatile player, the initial expectation - should he sign - is that he would slot in on the right-wing.
No Spurs fan expects the 31-year-old to roll back the years and perform like he did in 2013, but playing alongside quality players like Harry Kane and Heung-min Son will mean he won't really need to.
Bale, Kane and Son could form the best attacking trio in the Premier Leaguer (sorry Liverpool fans).
3. Keeping Harry Kane
There are some decisive years ahead for Kane, with the Englishman now aged 27.
Kane has openly spoken about wanting to win football's biggest trophies and while he'd probably love to do that at Spurs, it's become apparent that he may have to go elsewhere to actually achieve these goals.
It's clear that Tottenham need to show Kane that they match his ambitions, and signing Bale could do just that.
4. The Winning Mentality
Unlike most players at Tottenham, Gareth Bale has won things. Bale has actually won pretty much everything there is to win in European football actually.
And this experience of winning big games may just rub off on his (potentially) new teammates at Tottenham, and inspire the club to their first trophy in over a decade.