It’s looking odd-on that Tottenham Hotspur’s 24-year old
golden boy Gareth Bale is about to join Spanish giants Real Madrid. It may be
just a question of time until Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, a notoriously tough
negotiator, will accept the inevitable and grant Bale’s transfer to Madrid for
a world record transfer fee.
However, as things stand, it is far from plain sailing.
From what is being reported, Bale is so unhappy that Levy is trying to block
his transfer to Los Blancos that he is prepared to fight to force through his
dream move.
Bale undoubtedly has the football world at his magical
feet. Since former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp’s inspired decision in 2010
to develop him from a highly promising left-back to an attacking
winger/midfielder, he has set football alight.
He has experienced a rapid rise in prominence after
scoring some of the most memorable goals in the English Premiership in recent
seasons. He is now rightly coveted as one of the best players in European and
world football.
Last season Bale was prolific for Tottenham, scoring 26
goals in all competitions. He received numerous individual awards, including
PFA Player and Young Player of the Year and the Football Writers’ Association
Player of the Year.
It will surely be only a question of time before Bale’s
name is mentioned alongside elite stars such as Messi, Ronaldo, Iniesta and
Xavi.
But, importantly, in his heart Bale knows that to achieve
this he needs to be performing at the highest level. Spurs may yet become a big
club in Europe, but they face stiff competition again this season to finish
high enough in the Premiership to qualify for a Champions League place.
Last week, Spanish sports paper Marca, considered by many
to be the mouthpiece for those in the know at Spanish La Liga giants Real
Madrid, dropped a bombshell. It revealed that Bale had already informed Spurs
chairman Levy of his wish to join Madrid, the club he supported as a boy.
Marca reported that negotiations had been conducted
between Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, and Madrid president Florentino Pérez
and director general José Angel Sánchez in Madrid on 25 June. At the meeting a
six-year deal was discussed which included details such as Bale being allocated
his favourite number 11 shirt. During the meeting Barnett allegedly informed
Real president Pérez:
“Have no doubts: Gareth has wanted to play for Madrid
since he was a kid.”
This was no doubt the news Pérez had longed to hear. For
Pérez is reported to have been so impressed by Bale’s brilliance at Tottenham
and is so desperate to sign him, he is prepared to break the world transfer
record to get his man.
On 23 July, Marca reporter Carlos Carpio stated that,
although Real Madrid expected negotiations with Levy to be difficult, they had
been given encouragement:
“Daniel Levy is a ruthless negotiator who skilfully deals
with whatever he is faced with. When Gareth Bale told him last week that he
wanted to join Real Madrid and that his decision was irrevocable, he suddenly
became aware of the crisis he was facing. Levy has told those around him that
he will only sell his prize jewel for a record English transfer fee. Until now,
that is the €94m paid by Florentino in 2009 for Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Prior to this news, many of us didn’t fully believe the
Madrid rumours. But now we have learned that Bale himself is determined to
force through the transfer to enable him to realise his ambition to play in the
Champions League which, of course, he is unable to do with Tottenham. At Real,
one of the biggest clubs in the world, Bale knows he has a golden opportunity
to play amongst ‘galacticos’ like Cristiano Ronaldo and a real prospect of
winning trophies.
But Spurs chairman Levy seems determined to make it
difficult for both Pérez and Bale, just as he did with Real last summer during
Luka Modric’s long-running transfer saga. Writing in The Observer (27 July
2013), David Hytner reports that Bale has become distraught that Levy is
standing in the way of what he sees as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Levy
rejected Madrid’s offer of £81m last week and has reportedly taken a similar
stance in response to their improved £86.3m (€100m) offer.
Despite this, Marca reporters Serrano and Cerezo (27 July
2013), stated that Real have known for some time that the cost the transfer
would be in the region of €100m and with a deal so close, the club has no
intention of breaking off negotiations for the sake of €4-€5m. They add:
“In Levy’s opinion, although Gareth Bale’s move to Real
Madrid is inevitable, the negotiations have become a matter of principle. If
Real tables a bid of over €96m, the amount it paid in 2009 for Cristiano
Ronaldo, Tottenham would sell its star.”
This all makes last week’s repeated assertions by
Tottenham manager Andre Villas Boas (AVB) about Bale staying at the club hard
to believe. AVB’s decision in recent days to refuse to comment further is
probably wise. Maybe he has begun to accept the inevitability of losing his
star player.
Bale’s recent injury has forced him to miss several games
including last weeks Asia Trophy matches in Hong Kong against Sunderland and
South China. AVB hopes that Bale will be fit to play in Tottenham’s next
friendly against Monaco at the Stade Louis II on Saturday. This is looking
increasingly unlikely for two key reasons. Firstly, if reports are true, Bale
is not in the right frame of mind to play in that game and, secondly,
negotiations between Pérez and Levy may have already been concluded in what
would become a new world record transfer fee of a staggering £85-86m.
Bale’s transfer from White Hart Lane to the Santiago
Bernabeu may be imminent. If it happens, fans of Tottenham Hotspur and of
English Premiership football will sorely miss the brilliance of this player who
possesses a rare talent and who has illuminated the game on so many occasions
in recent seasons.
No matter how long Bale has to battle with Levy to get
his wish, it seems the Premiership is going to be without this Welsh genius
next season.
Gareth Bale we will miss you.
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