The agent of Gareth Bale says he hopes the player's move back to Tottenham Hotspur can be completed by the end of this week.
Negotiations between the two clubs are ongoing and have been described by Jonathan Barnett as "complicated", not least by Bale's astronomical wages worth a reported £600,000 per week.
Barnett acknowledges that while the finer details of a proposed move are still to be finalised, he expects the Wales forward to seal a return to the club he left for a world-record £85 million (Dh402m) in 2013.
"We're getting there," Barnett told AFP. "I think it will be completed this week."
Madrid have been desperate to offload the 31-year-old Bale for more than a year and scuppered a proposed move to China last summer by insisting on a transfer fee at the 11th hour.
But Tottenham are expected initially to take Bale on loan as part of a package that includes them paying around half of his wages, as well as some additional payments, depending on the Welshman's performances.
Bale has made plain his desire to leave the Bernabeu and return to the club where he scored 55 goals in 203 games after being told by the Spanish champions he is persona not grata.
The former Southampton player's relationship with manager Zinedine Zidane and Madrid fans - never great even in the best of times - is currently at rock bottom and unlikely to ever be salvaged.
While Bale can justly say he has helped Madrid burgeon a trophy cabinet with four Champions League, two La Liga, one Copa del Rey and three Club World Cup titles, his detractors can just as easily point to an injury record that would make most wince.
In his seven years in the Spanish capital, Bale has played in just 46 per cent of Madrid's games, although 105 goals in 251 goals is the type of return that has encouraged Spurs that he is worth the gamble.
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Gareth Bale's best goals for Real Madrid
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September 2013: Villarreal v Real Madrid – debut goal. After the start to his Real Madrid career was disrupted by injury, Gareth Bale scored his first goal for his new club against Villarreal in a La Liga game at El Madrigal Stadium. Getty -
November 2013: Real Madrid v Real Valldolid – the perfect hat-trick. Bale started to realise the demands of Real Madrid fans after being criticised for his display in the Clasico defeat to Barcelona in October. He responded by going on a red-hot run of goalscoring form, which included his first Madrid treble in a 4-0 win over Valladolid. It was a perfect hat-trick, too: left foot, right foot, header. Getty -
April 2014: Real Madrid v Barcelona - Copa del Rey final winner. The crowning moment of Bale’s debut season at Real Madrid. With the score level at 1-1, Bale scored one of the greatest goals in Spanish football history, burning Barcelona defender Marc Bartra for pace, sprinting half the pitch, before sliding the ball home for an 85th minute winner. Getty -
May 2014: Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid - Champions League final goal. Bale stepped up once again on the biggest of stages. After the Champions League final seemed to be heading to penalties, Bale scored to give Real Madrid a 2-1 lead in extra time. Real went on to win 4-1 and claim their 10th European Cup. Getty -
December 2014: Real Madrid v San Lorenzo - Club World Cup final goal. In a season blighted by more injury problems, Bale scored in his third major final for Real Madrid, netting the second in a 2-0 win over San Lorenzo to win the Fifa Club World Cup. Getty -
December 2015: Real Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - four-goal haul. Bale produced the most prolific performance of his Real Madrid career when he scored four goals in a 10-2 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. Three weeks later, he scored another hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Deportivo. Getty -
May 2018: Real Madrid v Liverpool - Champions League final match-winner. Bale was finding himself increasingly marginalised by Zidane and was among the substitutes for the Champions League final against Liverpool. Called off the bench with the score at 1-1, Bale scored one of the greatest goals in Champions League history with a spectacular overhead kick. He scored again to steer Madrid to a 3-1 win and their third successive European Cup. Getty -
December 2018: Fifa Club World Cup - player of the tournament. After the exit of Zidane, Bale resumed a more important role under eventual successor Santiago Solari and was central to Madrid’s Club World Cup triumph in Abu Dhabi. He scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against Kashima Antlers before Madrid beat Al Ain in the final. He was named player of the tournament. Getty -
February 2019: Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid - 100th goal. On February 9, 2019 Bale became just the 15th player in Real Madrid’s history to score 100 goals for the club when he struck in a 3-1 win away to city rivals Atletico. Bale has since moved on to 102 goals, placing him 14th on Madrid’s all-time list. Getty
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Assuming the deal goes ahead, Bale will join Jose Mourinho at Spurs, who reiterated on Wednesday that he tried to sign the forward while he was in charge of Real Madrid.
"I tried to sign him during my time at Real Madrid and the president followed my instinct and knowledge and the season I left, he brought Gareth to the club," Mourinho said. "That's no secret and Gareth knows that."
Tottenham are also close to completing the signing of Real Madrid left-back Sergio Reguilon for around €30 million (Dh130m).
Reguilon enjoyed an excellent 2018/19 season for Madrid but Zidane sent the 23-year-old on loan last year to Sevilla, where he helped them finish fourth in La Liga and win the Europa League.
Spurs are hoping to have the Spain international registered in time for Sunday's Premier League clash against Southampton.
The North London club lost their opening fixture 1-0 to Everton at home last week.
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Tottenham v Everton player ratings
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TOTTENHAM RATINGS: Hugo Lloris - 5: Didn't have much to do, and had no chance with Everton's winner. Reuters -
Matt Doherty - 5: One attacking foray almost led to a goal but was otherwise put in the shade by his opposite right-back Seamus Coleman. Reuters -
Eric Dier - 6: A couple of timely blocks to deny Richarlison from getting on the scoresheet. AFP -
Toby Alderweireld - 5: Beaten by Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the air for the winner and looked on shaky ground throughout. Reuters -
Ben Davies - 5: Spurs left-back never asked any questions defensively of Everton new-boy James Rodriguez. Reuters -
Harry Winks - 5: Him and Hojbjerg looked too similar in a dysfunctional centre midfield pairing. AFP -
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - 5: Dane was happy to get stuck in but failed to make an impression on his Spurs debut. EPA -
Dele Alli - 6: Stung the hands of Pickford with a lightning quick counter and then was inexcusably hooked at half time by his manager. EPA -
Lucas Moura - 6: Flashes of good play from the Brazilian attacker but none of them in areas that hurt Everton. EPA -
Son Heung-min - 5: The South Korean may still be in Seamus Coleman's pocket. Reuters -
Harry Kane - 4: Hard to remember the Tottenham striker touching the ball in the second half and hardly littered the first 45 with memories either. AFP -
SUBS: Moussa Sissoko (on for Alli) - 5: Frenchman tried to offer drive from midfield but to no avail. AFP -
Steven Bergwijn (on for Winks) - 5: Instructed to hog the touchline by his manger when the dangerous Dutchman might have been better deployed supporting Kane. Reuters -
Tanguy Ndombele (on for Doherty) - 4: Frenchman's impact was negligible. EPA -
EVERTON RATINGS: Jordan Pickford - 7: Pulled off quality saves to deny Alli and Doherty in the first half. Reuters -
Seamus Coleman - 9: The Everton captain was exceptional defensively and never gave Son a sniff. AFP -
Michael Keane - 6: A comfortable afternoon for the Everton centre-back. AFP -
Yerry Mina - 6: The commanding Colombian marshaled the defensive line well to keep Spurs' attackers quiet. Reuters -
Lucas Digne - 7: Delivered a tantilising ball for Calvert-Lewin to attack and constantly kept Moura pinned back. EPA -
Allan - 8: The least venerated of Everton's midfield signings but the Brazilian was a colossus protecting the back four. AFP -
Abdoulaye Doucoure - 6: Solid if unspectacular debut for the Frenchman. Snuffed out one dangerous Spurs attack in particular in the first half. AFP -
James Rodriguez - 8: Caressed the ball as if running his fingers through a lover's hair. Never looked in danger of beating Davies for pace, but then he never looked like he had to. EPA -
Andre Gomes - 8: Much was made of the three midfield debutants, but the Portuguese was pure silk before being replaced on 68 minutes. Reuters -
Richarlison - 7: It's no exaggeration to say the Everton forward should have bagged a hat-trick. The Brazilian was plenty wasteful, but it speaks to his character that he never went missing. AFP -
Dominic Calvert-Lewin - 7: Hardly involved in the first half but grew in stature in the second. The way he got between the two Spurs centre-backs to score his header was reminiscent of his coach, Duncan Ferguson, in his pomp. Reuters -
SUBS: Gylfi Sigurdsson (on for Gomes) - 5: The Iceland international may find game time limited after today. Reuters -
Tom Davies (on for James) - NA: Brought on to eat up the clock. AFP -
Moise Kean (on for Calvert-Lewin) - NA: No time for the striker to impose himself on the match. EPA
