Whether Gareth Bale scored those two beautiful free kicks yesterday against Lyon or not, there would have still been plenty of speculation that the Welshman would be the subject of transfer rumors this summer. Those two goals — and the fact that he’s scored Tottenham’s last six goals — just added to the hype. Deservedly so, in my opinion.

The question for Tottenham Hotspur’s owners (and supporters) is whether Gareth Bale should be sold for a king’s ransom this summer, or whether the White Hart Lane executives can convince Bale to stay the club. It’s absolutely imperative that Spurs must qualify for the Champions League by finishing in the top four this season. Anything less and you may as well help Bale pack his bags. But if Spurs do qualify for the UEFA Champions League, the dilemma for Tottenham and Bale will be whether the 23-year-old midfielder should stay in north London or not.

Bigger clubs than Tottenham can tease Bale with the story that he’ll be able to win more with them and that Bale will be able to accomplish greater things, make more money from sponsorship deals (and wages) and win some of the biggest trophies in the world. That’s something that Tottenham Hotspur can’t compete with — at least, not yet. But if/when Bale decides to leave, it’ll make it even harder for the north London club to move into the next echelon of the top clubs in the world.

If Bale stayed at Spurs and they played in the UEFA Champions League next summer, the Welshman would be sacrificing part of his future to aid his club. Tottenham could climb up the ladder and step closer to winning a Premier League title or progressing far in the UEFA Champions League, but he wouldn’t have the opportunity to achieve what he could do at Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester United.

I believe it all comes down to one man — Gareth Bale. His desires and his dreams are what will eventually determine the outcome. The only person who knows the answers to that is Bale himself.

I would love to see Bale stay at Tottenham and to push this side on to greater things. But it’s not as if Bale is a lifelong Tottenham supporter. He supported Arsenal as a teenager, and began his career at Southampton. He owes Tottenham Hotspur nothing except for giving him the opportunity to work hard for a place on the team.

If you were Gareth Bale, what would you do? Do you blame him if he wants to move to Spain this summer? Or do you think he should build something special at Tottenham Hotspur, but that it may take years to achieve it?