Gareth Bale

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

Just Bale. If he's still there when the season starts, I'll happily take the bet.

What are we talking anyway?

Its a season long bet so I'm up for suggestions..

[Neil Young]

Well I would have elaborated if I’d have thought you were being serious.

Anyway, I was thinking if Bale is still there when the season starts then there is a good chance he’ll remain there and even if they do accept a late Real bid, they might be forced to panic buy.

Plus, if Spurs get off to a **** start with or without Bale, then he mightn’t want to make the bet at the end of August.

Touché.

I see your reasoning. Not that it's any of my business really.

The 2nd September is Jim White day this year

Ah, thanks.

Great, can't wait...until it's over.

[Bender]

Bale's season-by-season Premier League stats
2012-13: Played 33, scored 21, assisted 4
2011-12: Played 36, scored 9, assisted 10
2010-11: Played 30, scored 7, assisted 1
2009-10: Played 23, scored 3, assisted 5
2008-09: Played 16, scored 0, assisted 0
2007-08: Played 8, scored 2, assisted 0

[Shaggy]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jul/29/gareth-bale-tottenham-real-madrid-levy?CMP=twt_gu

Gareth Bale will put pressure on Spurs to let him go to Real Madrid

• Winger asks representatives to lobby Daniel Levy
• Standoff threatens to become acrimonious

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Dominic Fifield
The Guardian, Monday 29 July 2013 20.16 BST

Gareth Bale
Tottenham Hotspur's Gareth Bale is keen for the club to come to a deal with Real Madrid as soon as possible. Photograph: Ric Tapia/Getty Images

Gareth Bale's representatives hope to meet with the Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, this week to impress upon him their client's desire to move to Real Madrid this summer, with the stand-off between player and club threatening to turn acrimonious.

The Wales international and his team-mates returned from the Barclays Asia Trophy in Hong Kong in the small hours of Monday morning, with the manager, André Villas-Boas, having granted his squad two days off before they reconvene ahead of Saturday's friendly in Monaco. Bale has been suffering from a minor glute muscle complaint, an injury that prevented him featuring in the Far East, but, while the manager had envisaged the player resuming training this week, the 24-year-old does not anticipate participating at the weekend.

He and his advisors are aware of Real's determination to secure him ahead of Carlo Ancelotti's first campaign in charge and have been left exasperated by Levy's reluctance to consider an offer that would be worth a world record €100m (£86.3m), which the player believes is still on the table. The chairman, who had held informal talks with Bale during a brief trip to Hong Kong last week, is understood to have flown back to London from Florida, where he owns a property, and intends to reiterate to the Welshman that he will not be sold. Spurs have indicated they are absolutely resolute and have previous form in this area, having successfully delayed the departures of both Luka Modric and Dimitar Berbatov in the past.

That would suggest an impasse and it remains to be seen whether Bale, who has enjoyed a fine relationship with the London club's hierarchy since moving from Southampton in 2007, will be willing to force the issue by submitting a formal transfer request. Where such a statement had appeared unthinkable only a few weeks ago, it now feels a far more realistic proposition. Certainly, Spurs' own aspirations to secure the player on new and improve terms worth up to £150,000 a week appear dashed, though they do have the forward contracted for three more years.

Real, for their part, remain just as confident that they will secure their principal transfer target before the window closes at the beginning of September, with reports in Spain suggesting the president, Florentino Pérez, intends to leave a pre-season tournament in the United States to meet Levy in Miami early next month. Real's bid is understood to be a cash offer, but there could yet be scope to include players – the Argentina winger Angel Di Maria and the Portuguese full-back Fabio Coentrao have been mooted – in part-exchange for Bale, a proposition they hope might yet persuade Spurs into parting with their prized asset. It should be noted, however, that such exchange deals are notoriously difficult to complete given the number of interested parties upon which they hinge.

Amid the furore surrounding Bale's future, Spurs are at least making steady progress in pursuit of the Spain forward Roberto Soldado, whose signing from Valencia for £25.8m would constitute a club record. The striker, who had initially been targeted last summer only to indicate a desire to remain at the Mestalla, has been convinced to move to White Hart Lane with haggling continuing between the clubs over the payment of the fee. Spurs are looking to pay in instalments while Valencia, who are to sign the former Tottenham forward Helder Postiga from Real Zaragoza as a replacement, are seeking the vast majority in cash up front.

Spurs have agreed to meet the release clause in Soldado's contract after Liverpool declared an interest in the player, with the Londoners' recently-appointed sporting director, Franco Baldini, having spent time in Valencia negotiating a deal for the 28-year-old. The Spaniard – who has scored 81 goals in 141 appearances for the Primera Liga club – would follow Paulinho, a £17m arrival from Corinthians, and Twente's Nacer Chadli in joining Villas-Boas' squad this summer.

[Shaggy]

Neil Ashton is apparently well connected in London. £85m PLUS a player would be ****ing nuts. Doesn't £85m equate to about €100m?

[Vermilion]

One word....

Absurd.

[Fredo]

Surely UEFA will have to intervene if they want to be taken seriously.

[Chazza]

Gareth Bale tells Tottenham Hotspur he wants to hold talks with Real Madrid over £85m transfer

Gareth Bale’s future at Tottenham Hotspur appeared increasingly uncertain on Monday night after it emerged he had told chairman Daniel Levy he would be keen to speak to Real Madrid.

Bale has been targeted by the Spanish giants for a world-record transfer worth potentially £85 million and has moved to force the issue by informing Spurs that he is ready to leave, despite Levy’s insistence that he will not be sold at any price.

Levy is believed to have returned to his apartment in Miami after briefly flying back to England last weekend and although Spurs are set to smash their transfer record for the second time this summer by clinching a £26  million deal for Valencia forward Roberto Soldado, it seems even more likely that Bale is heading for the exit after six years at White Hart Lane.

Spurs have maintained consistent dialogue with Bale’s representatives over the past 48 hours, with more talks expected today, and are even prepared to reopen contract negotiations. But it is understood the club have been told the winger will not sign an extension regardless of the salary on offer.

This is a purely footballing decision for Bale, who is determined to test himself at a higher level in the Champions League, and Levy must now weigh up whether to risk retaining a disillusioned player or accept a bid from Madrid that would ensure the Wales international becomes the most expensive in history.

While the 24-year-old has made it clear to Spurs that he wants to leave, he has no intention of submitting a transfer request and remains hopeful that Levy will allow him to move.

He recognises Spurs have been good for his career but regards a move to Madrid as the chance of a lifetime and at a price that is acceptable to a club who signed him from Southampton for an initial £5 million in 2007.

Manchester United continue to monitor developments, with manager David Moyes anxious to make one marquee signing this summer, but Bale has set his sights on Madrid claiming he would never play for that "long ball merchant"

Carlo Ancelotti, the new Real Madrid manager, is growing increasingly confident a deal will be done and club president Florentino Pérez is ready to pay whatever it takes to sign Bale, regardless of Levy’s resistance.

A second bid is expected this week, even though Spurs claim to have a letter from Madrid insisting they would not make any offer for Bale this summer.

Andre Villas-Boas, the Spurs manager, knows the club are facing a losing battle to retain their outstanding asset but still expects Bale to attend training on Wednesday, ahead of the friendly against Monaco this weekend.
Bale missed both of Tottenham’s games in the Asia Cup with a muscle injury but is set to make his return tomorrow.

Michael Owen moved to Madrid from Liverpool in 2004 and has warned Bale that adjusting to life in Spain will not be easy.

He said: “The changes are huge. I underestimated that when I went to Real Madrid, certainly from a family point of view.

“From a football point of view, I think Bale would do particularly well. But I think for any player going from these shores to Spain, it is a lot different to how you first imagine it.

“Off the pitch, it’s very difficult. The Spanish culture is a very easy way of life; there’s a slow pace to it.”

Although Villas-Boas’s attempts to persuade Bale to stay in London appear forlorn, the Spurs manager is moving closer to the signing of Soldado, to finally end his summer search for a proven international forward.

Spurs made an improved offer for Soldado to Valencia over the weekend, triggering a release clause, and could have him signed before the friendly against Claudio Ranieri’s team. Valencia had offered him to Spurs for considerably less in January but Levy has paid almost £10 million more to take him to the capital.

The Spain international’s arrival will mean Spurs have broken their transfer record twice in less than two months, following the £17 million capture of Paulinho from Corinthians. Spurs have also signed Nacer Chadli from FC Twente for around £7 million.

However, it is the Bale saga that is severely threatening to damage Spurs’ preparations ahead of the new Premier League season, with further developments expected in the next two days.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/article10210163.ece?token=137099466

[danperkins]

Bale is a brilliant player but 85 ****ing million!! It's pure insanity.

[Chris]

Hopefully Levy does his usual dithering given his absolute obsession with doing everything at the end of August, Bale has to be left out of league games, they lose, he goes on deadline day and they cant replace him.

[Shaggy]

Manchester United continue to monitor developments, with manager David Moyes anxious to make one marquee signing this summer, but Bale has set his sights on Madrid claiming he would never play for that "long ball merchant"

[Liverpool]

crazy price his career development has been pretty mental
if we signed him from Southampton, he'd have been a **** left back for 18 months before sent packing to the championship

[Chazza]

Could have been oh so different......

[danperkins]

Hopefully Levy does his usual dithering given his absolute obsession with doing everything at the end of August, Bale has to be left out of league games, they lose, he goes on deadline day and they cant replace him.

He doesn't let his star players leave unless it's on his terms.. fair play to him for that i suppose.

Bale is so important for Spurs.. but i do worry what they could buy with £85 million. When you say it out loud the figure is so ridiculous.

[ChesterDave]

If the football world takes another step to utter insanity and he does go for £85,000,000 they won't get anyone cheap. They will have to pay through the nose and the whole world knows they have a mountain of cash