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Mourinho excited to have Bale - 'one of the best in Europe'

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

VIDEO SHOWS: NEWS CONFERENCE WITH TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO, RECENT FOOTAGE OF GARETH BALE, STILL PHOTOGRAPHS FROM SOUTHAMPTON V TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR, FILE FOOTAGE OF TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR TRAINING

SHOWS:

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 20, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO, SAYING:

"A coach always likes the best players in the squad and Gareth (Bale) when fit, when in condition is one of the top players in Europe. Sergio (Reguilon) was amazing last season in Sevilla and he was also (INAUDIBLE). So, if you ask me if I'm happy to have these two players I have to say yes, I am but there are other things which make a team and make a squad. And the squad is a puzzle, the squad is a puzzle. And in this moment our squad is not a puzzle and that's a problem that we'll have to understand."

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 18, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

2. FANS CHEERING AND APPLAUDING AS GARETH BALE ARRIVES AT TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR TRAINING GROUND

3. CARS DRIVING THROUGH ENTRANCE TO TOTTENHAM'S TRAINING GROUND

4. VARIOUS OF TOTTENHAM FANS, CHANTING (English): "GARETH BALE, GARETH BALE, HE WAS BORN TO PLAY FOR SPURS. HE WAS BORN TO PLAY FOR SPURS"

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 20, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO, RESPONDING TO QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER DELE ALLI WILL REMAIN WITH SPURS, SAYING:

"I left eight players behind. They stayed, trained this morning because they are a big group and Dele is amongst these players or was. You could see our team; I cannot start with all of them and I cannot have a bench without defenders or a bench without midfielders. So, the same way a squad is a puzzle, a bench is also a little puzzle. So, to have on a bench Tony (Alderweireld) and Serge (Aurier) and Moussa (Sissoko) and Gio (Giovani Lo Celso), and (Erik) Lamela and (Steven) Bergwijn I cannot have on the bench four wingers or three wingers and a number 10 and then no defenders. Everything is a puzzle so in these two matches Dele has stayed out. Probably Tuesday (September 22) he will play and others will stay, will stay out."

6. WHITE FLASH

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO, RESPONDING TO QUESTION AS TO WHETHER HE NEEDS ANOTHER STRIKER, SAYING:

"I don't know. I don't know. My work was with my players to try to win this match, which we managed to do and now we have another match on Tuesday and some of the boys will have always to rest because we played Thursday and Sunday and we will play again Thursday after Leyton (Orient). Some players will have obviously to rest which will open a good opportunity for others to play. For a season like this we need a good squad and we need a squad with two players for (each) position that's obvious. So, very important."

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 20, 2020) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

8. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF TOTTENHAM FORWARD, SON HEUNG-MIN STRIKING THE BALL AS HE SCORES ONE OF HIS FOUR GOALS AGAINST SOUTHAMPTON

9. TWO STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF SON CELEBRATING

10. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF SON CELEBRATING WITH HARRY KANE AND ERIK LAMELA

11. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF KANE AND MOURINHO

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 18, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO, TALKING ABOUT THE 5-2 VICTORY OVER SOUTHAMPTON, SAYING:

"Pierre (Hojbjerg) of course gave us two or three little points also to have an in-depth analysing in the way of play and we identify a few things where we could hurt them. To be honest I also think they clearly identified how to hurt us. When you look at their goal and a couple of other big chances they had in the first half I think that (Southampton manager) Ralph (Hasenhuettl) also made a great job, a great analysis to try and find a way to hurt us but in the second half Harry Kane, in my opinion, changed the game. His movement was tremendous. His link play was absolutely incredible and then he allows, he allowed Son to play in a different position on the pitch. Gio and Lamela - I just love when players come from the bench and they add something to the team and the second half was a really, really strong performance from us."

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - NOVEMBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

13. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO WALKING BEHIND PLAYERS BEFORE TRAINING

14. CAPTAIN HARRY KANE LEADING OUT PLAYERS

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - FEBRUARY 18, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

15. VARIOUS OF SQUAD PERFORMING EXERCISES OVER HURDLES

16. SQUAD JOGGING

STORY: Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho said on Sunday (September 20) that he was very happy to have signed Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon from Real Madrid.

Bale completed his return to Tottenham from Spanish champions on Saturday (September 19) as the Wales forward ended an increasingly fractious seven-year stay at the Bernabeu.

The 31-year-old had flown to London on Spurs chairman Daniel Levy's private jet on Friday along with Real's Spanish left back Sergio Reguilon to put the finishing touches to their moves on a seismic day for the Premier League club.

The financial details of the move were not disclosed but British media reported that Tottenham will pay around 20 million pounds ($25.83 million) in wages and loan fees.

It is seven years since Cardiff-born Bale left Tottenham to join Real Madrid for a then world record fee of 100 million euros after a spectacular rise.

Reguilon's move is permanent after the 23-year-old signed a five-year contract for a fee reported to be 30 million euros ($35.51 million) by British media.

Mourinho, who was speaking after his side's 5-2 Premier League victory over Southampton, said Bale was one of the top players in Europe and was looking forward to having him in the squad once he's fit in October.

The Portuguese manager was coyer when asked about the future of Dele Alli who has not featured in Tottenham's last two games. The England international has been linked with a move to Paris St Germain but Mourinho said Alli would probably play in the EFL Cup match against Leyton Orient on Tuesday (September 22).

Spurs' transfer activity may also not be over with the club linked with a move for a striker including Southampton's Danny Ings who scored both goals for the Saints against Tottenham on Sunday.

Mourinho didn't name any names but suggested he wanted a striker before the transfer window closes in 15 days as he wants competition for places in every position.

Sunday's performance against Southampton showed Spurs aren't lacking in creativity as Son Heung-Min scored four goals and Harry Kane claimed the fifth with England captain also providing four assists for his South Korean team mate.

Mourinho haled Kane's performance as Tottenham claimed their first Premier League victory of the season.

(Production: Tim Hart)