Former Arsenal and Tottenham midfielder, David Bentley, believes that if Gareth Bale is available, the Gunners won’t have any problem coughing up his wages.

With Real Madrid reportedly growing tired with Bale’s lack of fitness, Bentley reckons the forward could be available and, with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez potentially jumping ship by next summer, he believes Arsenal would be willing to pay the 28-year-old’s wages.

“For me, if there was an option of going for Gareth Bale – who is available and can have an effect long-term – then Arsenal will pay the wages,” Bentley told 888Sport.

“That would put the cat among the pigeons. That would be controversial to say the least. But if you’re looking around the world at the minute for an unknown or a foreign player without Premier League experience then it’s very difficult to get them up to speed straight away.

“There are a few rumours and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was available and £86m would be a snip. Bale can do everything and is one of the best players I’ve ever seen. He’s also commercially good. If they can get him for £86m they can more than manage the £300,000 a week or whatever he’s on. That would be the player I’d target.”

Bale moved to La Liga from Spurs in 2013 for a world record fee at the time of around £85m. He’s since gone on to score 70 goals in 159 appearances and provide 55 assists for Los Blancos.

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(ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images)

However, while the Wales international and Aaron Ramsey’s former Cardiff teammate has been molded into a superstar in Spain, his injury woes have caught up with him.

While he was in north London, Bale spent over 160 days sidelined through injury and since moving to Real Madrid, he’s been injured 11 times. This recent tear to his abductor muscle is the second time he’s been out of action this season alone and while that might seem like nothing to Gooners, since we’re used to our stars intermittently disappearing for weeks at a time, for a club like Real, it’s apparently getting frustrating.

Would Bale want to sign for his former rivals? Would Arsenal really pay his reported £350k-per-week wages, as his ex-teammate Bentley suggests? We can dream, I guess…