Reports: Tottenham serious about Gareth Bale pursuit

It's the story Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been dreaming about since the summer of 2013.

The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare and ESPN's Mark Ogden are reporting that Tottenham are favorites to win the signature of wantaway Real Madrid star Gareth Bale.

The 31-year-old deemed surplus to requirements by Real manager Zinedine Zidane left Tottenham for the Spanish giants in September 2013 and won the Champions League on four occasions with Los Blancos. Reports surfaced last week that Real are willing to pay up to 50% of Bale's wages to get him off the club's books and away from the squad before the summer transfer window closes on Oct. 5.

It's believed Tottenham could acquire Bale on a subsidized loan deal with the option to purchase his rights on a discount after the 2020-21 campaign.

Bale has also been linked with fellow Premier League outfit Manchester United and Major League Soccer.

As Ogden wrote, Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has asked club chairman Daniel Levy for additional attacking options as he attempts to guide the team through domestic and European competitions. For Bale, his old club could provide him with much-needed first-team football ahead of the European Championship, which was postponed from the summer of 2020 to next year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Playing alongside England captain Harry Kane and speedster Son Heung-min could be what Bale needs to reclaim his best form in the twilight of his physical prime.

Tottenham failed to hit the back of the net in Sunday's season-opening 1-0 defeat to Everton.