Gareth Bale's best position is as a centre-forward.
That is the opinion of former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas who has become the latest person to have his say on the debate surrounding the Wales international's current predicament in north London.
With Harry Kane out injured, Jenas has revealed his belief that Bale would be the one to lead the line against Chelsea on Thursday night - in a role that he plays for his national team.
However, Jose Mourinho went with another loan signing from last summer's transfer window in Carlos Vinicius and didn't even bring Bale on as a substitute despite chasing an equaliser.
Much to Jenas' surprise.
"They bought Vinicius, and they brought Bale in," Jenas told BBC Radio 5 Live. "My opinion was with Bale, I feel that he wants to play centre forward. When he plays for Wales, he doesn’t play out wide, he plays more as a centre forward.
"So I would have thought that the minute Harry Kane got injured, that would have been music to Gareth Bale’s ears, because he is thinking 'this is what I have been waiting for'.
"But unfortunately, he doesn’t look interested in playing at the moment and that is the God's honest truth. I’ve worked with him and know what he is about and what we’re seeing is not Gareth Bale.
"It is worrying though. I would have thought that at Gareth’s age now, what has he won four Champions League, scored in finals, world’s most expensive player at one point, he has done it all.
"The thing I don’t like is the acceptance part, even the other day I am looking at him on the bench, and he just doesn’t look bothered.
"I’ve been there when a team is struggling and you’re not playing, you are like ‘that’s on you gaffer’, but then when he comes on he is not proving himself, he’s not helping himself, so I can understand why Jose is not playing him."
Whilst Jenas thinks Bale's best position is through the middle, Mourinho's recent verdict means the pair are in a disagreement about the Welshman.
"I don’t think [Gareth] is a striker, I don’t think he likes to play as a striker," admitted the 58-year-old. "It was something that we spoke when he joined us, he was very objective with me, by saying he doesn’t feel he is a left winger like he was before, he doesn’t feel like he is a No.10 like he was before, too.
"The position that he likes to play is the position where we are playing him every minute we give him, which is the right side of the attack. so when Gareth plays starting or coming from the bench, that’s his position in our game."
