Real Madrid’s hierarchy are reportedly content with the proceedings of Gareth Bale despite the recent speculation linking him with a summer exit. The Wales international was widely expected to take over the scoring burden following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in the summer but that has not been the case with just six goals from 19 league appearances.

As such, there has been widespread speculation linking Bale with a Premier League return with either Chelsea or former club Tottenham Hotspur but this has not hampered the attacker’s importance at the Bernabeu, ESPN reports. Bale has been entrusted with the left-wing role during the ongoing campaign after the departure of Ronaldo, who made the surprise switch to Juventus last summer.

However, the move has not quite worked out amid concerns regarding his form and fitness and this has recently spread the speculation that Los Blancos may seek to offload him during the summer to enhance their prospects of recouping the entire £85m spent for his signature from Spurs more than five years ago.

“Elsewhere, reports have indicated that Bale could be offered to Tottenham or Chelsea“ in a part-exchange move to pursue Christian Eriksen or Eden Hazard respectively but neither deal remains straightforward. While Eriksen would be open to joining the European champions, Spurs may not necessarily prefer the return of Bale, given the recent injury “troubles and hefty wages“.

On the other hand, Chelsea have other concerns to worry about with FIFA sanctioning a two-window transfer ban for them after they broke the regulations over signing minor players. The west London club could, however, delay the embargo with an appeal during the summer but they may nonetheless be reluctant to offload Hazard in the current situation. Still, the futures of both Hazard and Eriksen remain doubtful with their respective contracts due to expire at the end of next season.