After a glitzy evening in Central London on Sunday, Gareth Bale added to his already considerable collection of personal accolades by winning both the PFA Player and Young player of the year awards.
It is the first-time the same player has won both awards since Cristiano Ronaldo completed the feat in the 2006-07 season.
Less than two years later Ronaldo left the EPL to join Real Madrid... it might not take Bale that long to follow suit.
But should Bale stay with Tottenham? It depends on a few key factors.
If Spurs qualify for next seasons UEFA Champions League, the Weslh wing-wizard may stay put at White Hart Lane for at least another year. If they don’t qualify, it could be “Adios Gareth” for Andre Vilas-Boas’ men.
However, with last weeks seismic shift of European soccer power from Spain to Germany, could Bale end up anywhere but La Liga should he leave Spurs? I doubt it.
Despite his success against Italian teams in European competitions, it is unlikely that Bale will join a Serie A side. A move to either Real Madrid or Barcelona seems his most likely destination.
But has anyone considered Manchester United in all this? Sir Alex Ferguson has taken a keen interest in Bale since his days playing in the Championship for Southampton as a marauding 16-year-old left-back. The wing play of Nani, Antonio Valencia and others has disappointed this season, so Bale could be the perfect remedy for what has been a problem area for United. Now Fergie would love to help Bale swap North London for Manchester, just like RVP did to devastating effect last summer. But are United willing to pay around $100 million for him?
I know a club that are. Manchester rivals Man City could take Bale, easily. But with costs continuing to soar, players will have to move out of City before signing Bale could become a possibility. The saturation levels at City would be too much to even start with Bale regularly.
So La Liga it is. However, the underlying notion is that if Tottenham finish in the top four this season and AVB is allowed to strengthen over the summer, Bale could remain at White Hart Lane for years to come. That said, can somebody turned down the lure of the Santiago Bernabeu or Camp Nou once it comes calling? Even Gareth Bale would struggle with that one.