Tottenham coach Jose Mourinho said that he did not discuss for "one second" the possibility of extending his loan from Gareth Bale after the end of the current season, while Spanish reports confirmed his return to Real Madrid again next summer.
The fans greeted with great enthusiasm the return of the Welsh player to Tottenham Hotspur on loan from Real Madrid, but he left no imprint and spent most of the time on the bench.
In response to a question about Bale's future before his team's signing in the Premier League against Sheffield United on Sunday, Mourinho did not reveal any details about the player's position.
"I did not discuss this matter for one second, Gareth is a loan player until the end of the season, we did not discuss it for one second," Mourinho told reporters.
Bale played in only one Premier League game this season, and sat on the bench. He did not play in the 1-1 draw with Fulham this week, but was featured in 6 of the team's European League encounters.
Mourinho confirmed that he is seeking "gradually" to push the 31-year-old player to give his best, but he did not reveal whether Bale will participate against Sheffield United, and said, "I do not know, I have not made a decision yet, let's wait."
In a related context, the Spanish newspaper "MARCA", which is close to Real Madrid, confirmed that Tottenham is not considering buying Bale and that he will return to Real Madrid next summer for not providing the level expected of him.
Sixth-placed Tottenham are desperate to get the three points on Sunday, to revive their hopes of entering the semi-finals after having scored only a lonely victory in the last 6 league matches.
Sheffield United are bottomed out of the standings, but they scored their first victory of the season against Newcastle United this week.
In turn, Mourinho warned his players against underestimating the opponent, saying, "If we enter the match and we are thinking that we will face the worst team in the Premier League, we will face a big problem."