All eyes are set on Tottenham Hotspurs’ left-winger Gareth Bale. The 24-years-old Welshman is poised to replace Cristiano Ronaldo as the most expensive footballer in history after Spanish giants Real Madrid indicated they would be willing to pay as much as €100 million (US$132.5 million) to lure Bale to La Liga. In 2009, Real president Florentino Perez opened the cheque book and paid €94 million (US$124.6 million) for the Portuguese superstar, a record that is likely to be broken by the Bale deal.
Gareth Bale: the new transfer record?
A decade ago, Perez was embroiled in a protracted transfer saga with Manchester United for another British footballer in David Beckham. There are some similarities in the circumstances surrounding the two deals. Both players are natural wide players, although Bale is more versatile as he can play behind the striker as well as left defender. When Beckham arrived at Bernabéu, his place in the squad was not guaranteed as the Galácticos had great right side players such as Luís Figo. The current Madrid squad is just as glamorous as it was before. In the left-wing spot they have Ronaldo, while Spanish wonder-kid Isco will certainly be competitive for the hole behind the striker. If Bale’s deal is signed off, it will be one of the biggest challenges for experienced manager Carlo Ancelotti to find the right shape for the team.
Bale’s British predecessor David Beckham joined Real 10 years ago
Encouraged to move to the Bernabéu by club legend Zinedine Zidane, Real’s offer for Bale is deemed too good to turn down. Accompanied by his parents, Bale had a meeting with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy on Monday in which he urged the board to negotiate with the Spanish club. Levy held a hardline stance in another protracted deal with Real Madrid for Luka Modrić a couple of years ago and the savvy businessman will certainly have the same attitude this time. Nevertheless, the potential mouthwatering deal, in addition to Bale’s determination to move, may force Levy to make it happen.
Sadly, there is a price for any player. There is no such thing as “not for sale” in professional football these days. The PFA Player of the Year for 2012/13 is now in the same bracket as Lionel Messi of Barcelona, who has a €100 million release clause in the contract. It is high praise for the young British player. Meanwhile, Spurs must start the difficult task of finding a replacement for Bale and Luis Suárez is reported to be on their radar. But as WGM understands, it would be unusual for Suárez to even consider joining another Premier League rival that isn’t playing Champions League football.
