How Tottenham could line up this season with Bale, Reguilon, Doherty and Hojbjerg

Tottenham are set to complete a sensational loan move to re-sign Gareth Bale from Real Madrid, along with a deal for his team-mate Sergio Reguilon.

Signing the pair would potentially transform Jose Mourinho's strongest XI, at least on paper, and allow the Spurs manager to alter his system with more ease.

Bale first joined Spurs as a 17-year-old left-back but he will return as one of the most decisive forwards in the world, having almost exclusively played in a front three for the past decade.

The 31-year-old would surely take the place of Mourinho-favourite Lucas Moura alongside Harry Kane and Heung-min Son in an attacking three, rotating between the flanks with the South Korean.

In an ideal world, Mourinho could then field a mercurial midfield trio of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele, provided of course the latter can get fit and fulfil his potential.

Reguilon's signing could also signal a shift to a more symmetrical back four, with Mourinho have previously used Ben Davies as an auxiliary centre-half, allowing right-backs Matt Doherty or Serge Aurier to fly forward.

The 23-year-old Spaniard is quick and direct, so Mourinho may opt to release both full-backs and instruct Hojbjerg to drop between the centre-backs in possession.

Whether the system would work in practice remains to be seen but it is clearly a tantalising prospect for Spurs fans.

Tottenham XI: Lloris; Doherty, Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon; Hojbjerg, Lo Celso, Ndombele; Son, Kane, Bale

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