Nuno Santo confirms Gareth Bale will not return to Tottenham for the 2021-22 PL season

32-year-old Gareth Bale spent last season on loan at north London side Tottenham Hotspurs but looks set to stay at Real Madrid for the 2021-22 campaign after the new Spurs coach Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed Gareth Bale will not return to the club for the upcoming season.

The winger re-joined the club on loan from Real Madrid last season and show brief moments of his brilliant best, notably scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Sheffield United.

Bale's future is yet to be decided as it was rumoured he could go back to north London for the 2021-22 campaign, while it was also claimed he could retire.

But Nuno has dismissed any talk of the 32-year-old being signed by Spurs for a third time in his first press conference as the new in the dugout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"Gareth Bale will not be part of our squad," he told reporters.

What does the future hold for the Welshman?

Bale still has one year left on his contract at Madrid. He is still on holiday due to his involvement at Euro 2020 and will join up with Carlo Ancelotti's team to begin preparation for the new campaign later this month.

The Welshman could still have a role to play at the Santiago Bernabeu next term, as reports in Spain say Ancelotti is counting on him. The former Everton boss was in charge when Bale first arrived at Madrid from Spurs in 2013, with the pair going on to win the Champions League that season.

The most expensive player in the world in 2013

Bale began his professional career at Southampton, playing at left-back and earning acclaim as a free-kick specialist. Bale moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, for an eventual £7 million fee. During his time at Tottenham, managerial and tactical shifts saw him transform into a more attacking player. From the 2009-10 season, under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, Bale became an integral part of the team, rising to international attention during the 2010-11 UEFA Champions League. In 2011 and 2013 he was named PFA Players' Player of the Year and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year. In 2013, he was also named PFA Young Player of the Year, the FWA Footballer of the Year, and the Premier League Player of the Season. He was nominated to the PFA Team of the Year three times in a row between 2011 and 2013.

On 1 September 2013, Bale was transferred to Real Madrid for a world-record fee of €100.8 million at that time. He played an integral role in his first season at Real Madrid, helping the club to win the 2013–14 Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League, scoring in both finals. The following season, he won the UEFA Super Cup and scored in a third major final to help the club win the FIFA Club World Cup. Two years later, he was a key player in another Champions League run, winning the 2015–16 title and being elected to the UEFA Squad of the Season. He was also a finalist in the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award and was named man of the match having scored with an overhead kick in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final.

(Image Credits: @SpursOfficial - Twitter/ AP)