Former Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman believes Gareth Bale made the right decision to stay in the Spanish capital in January, despite reported interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
The Welshman was heavily linked with a return to the Premier League in the January transfer window, amid links with Manchester United and Tottenham.
However, a move failed to materialise, with the 30-year-old staying in Madrid, where he has two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract.
Bale's agent Jonathan Barnett has since said that he does not see Bale returning to Tottenham as he delivered his verdict on the Welshman's future at Real Madrid.
And McManaman said he feels Bale should stay in Spain, with Real Madrid currently top of La Liga with a three point advantage over rivals Barcelona.
“Personally, I don’t think he should have moved in January," the former Liverpool and Real Madrid man said, speaking about the links with a move to Tottenham in his column for HorseRacing.net.
“If he wants to move, he should wait until the summer and and give himself a couple of months to sort everything out. However, there is Euro 2020 to consider.
“However, you can take your time to sort it out and do everything properly.
“Real Madrid are playing very well now. Zinedine Zidane has got them playing very well these last few months and they look a really hard team to beat, so Gareth may as well stay there.
“I know he’s had his injury problems, like [Eden] Hazard, but you may as well stay there because he will still have an important role to play until the end of the season if they’re successful.
“He loves Madrid, he loves the city, he loves the lifestyle and the culture. As long as he wants to stay there, he has a number of years left on his contract, then he will stay there.”
