Marca also claim that Bale has told Spurs chiefs that he wants to go to the Bernabeu.

Madrid-based daily newspaper Marca are renowned for their close links to Real.

In fact, so rarely are Marca wrong on Real Madrid that their word is taken as gospel, and history backs it up.

Villas-Boas, speaking ahead of the Barclays Asia Trophy, once again ruled out the possibility of Bale leaving this summer but confirmed the club’s interest in Valencia striker Roberto Soldado.

At the press conference in Hong Kong yesterday morning,Villas-Boas revealed that Bale will not feature in Wednesday’s game against Sunderland after picking up an injury in training.

The Spurs boss said: ‘I want to repeat what I was telling you last season and what I was telling you from the beginning of pre-season so I cannot extend myself.

'He is a player that we are willing to continue to have,he’s a Tottenham player, he’s one of the most fantastic players in the world at the moment and we are counting on him for the future.