Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has given his verdict on the imminent signings of Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon.
Spurs have agreed deals for the Real Madrid pair, with Bale returning to the club on loan after seven years away and the left-back joining on a permanent deal.
Bale's move is understood to be worth less than £15million all in, including loan fees and wages, with Reguilon to cost around £25m.
Pochettino says such a deal for Bale was "never a possibility" during his five-and-a-half years with Spurs, telling COPE: "Bale is a fantastic footballer.
"[He is] at an age where he still has strength, [plus] experience and maturity. He has been seven or eight years at Real Madrid: he has been decisive, he has won four European Cups, he has scored in important matches. The times we have met, he has always been very affectionate with me.
"There was never the possibility [to sign him at Spurs], first of all because everything was focused on finishing the stadium. When we got to the Champions League final, we hadn’t signed a player for a year and a half. After that, I left. There was never the possibility, but it’s clear that a player like Bale would have brought a lot to the team.
"Jesus Perez said to me: 'Imagine if Bale signs for Tottenham. We went to Southampton, Bale had left. We signed for Tottenham, Bale had left. Now look, he’s coming back to Tottenham…'
On Reguilon, Pochettino said: "I don’t know him as well. He’s a player with a lot of talent. He had a fantastic season at Sevilla, culminating in the Europa League.
"I think he’s a player who is for the present, but also a player who needs development and consistency in his evolution.
"[Spurs] need to work closely with him. He has great potential, but he’s a young player who has to keep growing."