Gareth Bale (Rumour to Deal Done)

Spurger King said:

Well AVB won't be doing anything with it as he'll walk out.

There might not have been any statement on the Spurs website, but AVB has already said that he's been given assurances that Bale will stay. Paulinho said that he'd been assured that AVB and Bale would be staying. All the quotes from Bale have been about him looking forward to the new season and continuing to work with AVB. Bale is on the cover of the new multi-million pound money maker that is the FIFA computer game. He's reportedly happy here. He's got a young family. He's at a great club. Perhaps most importantly I suspect he'll want to prove that his form last season was no fluke.

I'm sure he'll be off next summer, but it's baffling that you are so convinced he'll be leaving this summer when all the evidence suggests the opposite.

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Very true.

And can I add......

I've never hated a foreign club but I do now - step forward RM.

Classless, stain of a club led by that joker Perez.

Potless, two bob country. They should pay back the money they owe before spending millions on players

real are a joke, their use of the press is obvious, what is more dissappointing is how much sky and the english media seem to want bale out of spurs...

Rupstoh said:

Agreed - the deal will happen, sooner rather than later.

It has to be the case as there has been no official statement from the club that he is not for sale.

I will say it again, Gareth Bale will become the first £100m footballer in the next couple of weeks, a milestone in football history.

Just think of what AVB, Baldini and DL could do with that.

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I'm not so sure it is guaranteed, but it is getting to the point where it is damaging so if he's not for sale, say something that can't be ignored (as feel for AVB getting the same questions) or tell Real the price to put up or shut up.

i would feel a lot better if we had a levy statement saying he is not for sale like he did with modric. i think he is keeping quiet as he is not sure just how big an offer may come in for him.

us splashing the cash at the moment is slighly playing on my mind that we are spending the bale money now before letting him go later this summer.

Spurger King said:

Well AVB won't be doing anything with it as he'll walk out.

There might not have been any statement on the Spurs website, but AVB has already said that he's been given assurances that Bale will stay. Paulinho said that he'd been assured that AVB and Bale would be staying. All the quotes from Bale have been about him looking forward to the new season and continuing to work with AVB. Bale is on the cover of the new multi-million pound money maker that is the FIFA computer game. He's reportedly happy here. He's got a young family. He's at a great club. Perhaps most importantly I suspect he'll want to prove that his form last season was no fluke.

I'm sure he'll be off next summer, but it's baffling that you are so convinced he'll be leaving this summer when all the evidence suggests the opposite.

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The papers can spat all they want so let's see what happens. EA haven't launched the game (September) yet and I would expect them to make adjustments as in this day and age it is easy to do.

I don't want to see him go, just as I didn't want Hoddle to leave but in this circus, money talks.

We became a one-man team last season and finished 5th - we need a tighter unit and if all that money is chucked at Levy and Lewis they will accept a profit of £95m or £85m.

Neg-rep me all day long but if GB hasn't even expressed a wish to leave, you can bet your last pay day against the fact that Levy will cash in.

AVB and Paulinho are not bigger than the club.

Graysonti said:

And can I add......

I've never hated a foreign club but I do now - step forward RM.

Classless, stain of a club led by that joker Perez.

Potless, two bob country. They should pay back the money they owe before spending millions on players

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they were propped up by the fascist general franco and have got away with all kinds of dodgy financial dealings to magic away some of their debts

utter scum!

The club will NEVER go out and say "Fuck off, Bale is not for sale!". He's gonna be sold some time, so better not piss off Madrid - who seem to be the most potential buyer. Bale will not say "I want to stay at Spurs", because it's his (agent's) interest to keep him a sought after transfer target as well.

I believe Bale will stay next season, but truly believe these stories/rumours are something we have to deal with until September.

alfie said:

they were propped up by the fascist general franco and have got away with all kinds of dodgy financial dealings to magic away some of their debts

utter scum!

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Exactly!! That is the sole reason why this will happen, they always disable a clubs ambition which is why, as a business, Levy should cash in. The money can be used to promote THFC as a global brand with other purchases to ensure a finish well above top 4 and guarantee a CL place.

When you get a former world player of the year called Zidane recommending Bale to RM, that is serious talk.

If Bale gets crocked next season, we are looking at a quarter of the value that is now.

The one thing that I felt uneasy about when reading Clive Allen's thoughts was when he talked about Levy determining the right time to sell Bale, its all in the timing he said. Now that's true, but he was saying it in a way, like....don't be surprised if Levy feels his value will never be bigger than it is now. He didn't really, at that point anyway, allude to the worth of keeping him here for another season and maybe getting top four/ and of course still being able to command a huge fee for him next summer.

I hope it wasn't a case of a cleverly designed preparation policy being dripped out to the fans ie to slowly get us use to the idea of possibly letting him go this summer.

In short, I'm a little more worried now that we/Levy has an open mind about it at the moment and that's why there's been no official comment by the Club. I know AVB has said we don't want to sell but it hasn't been that firm a refusal in my mind.

Rupstoh said:

Exactly!! That is the sole reason why this will happen, they always disable a clubs ambition which is why, as a business, Levy should cash in. The money can be used to promote THFC as a global brand with other purchases to ensure a finish well above top 4 and guarantee a CL place.

When you get a former world player of the year called Zidane recommending Bale to RM, that is serious talk.

If Bale gets crocked next season, we are looking at a quarter of the value that is now.

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Or, you know, one of the best in the world can be used to promote THFC as a global brand and ensure a finish well above top 4 and guarantee a CL place...

Mr Pink said:

The one thing that I felt uneasy about when reading Clive Allen's thoughts was when he talked about Levy determining the right time to sell Bale, its all in the timing he said. Now that's true, but he was saying it in a way, like....don't be surprised if Levy feels his value will never be bigger than it is now. He didn't really, at that point anyway, allude to the worth of keeping him here for another season and maybe getting top four/ and of course still being able to command a huge fee for him next summer.

I hope it wasn't a case of a cleverly designed preparation policy being dripped out to the fans ie to slowly get us use to the idea of possibly letting him go this summer.

In short, I'm a little more worried now that we/Levy has an open mind about it at the moment and that's why there's been no official comment by the Club. I know AVB has said we don't want to sell but it hasn't been that firm a refusal in my mind.

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My concern was that the second we started even considering prices of other £20mil for a player was an indication of Bale leaving. Now that we've done this with Soldado I'm actually starting to consider the possibility of Bale going this summer.

We've been desperate for a top quality striker for years now. If we finally buy one it'll be such a kicker if Bale is sold too. If this does happen I fully expect, nay demand, us to use some of the cash to make a signing like Bernard or Lamela.

Syn_13 said:

My concern was that the second we started even considering prices of other £20mil for a player was an indication of Bale leaving. Now that we've done this with Soldado I'm actually starting to consider the possibility of Bale going this summer.

We've been desperate for a top quality striker for years now. If we finally sell one it'll be such a kicker if Bale is sold too. If this does happen I fully expect, nay demand, us to use some of the cash to make a signing like Bernard or Lamela.

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I'd get worried if we went out and spunked another 20 million. As it stands we need to show more ambition and there isn't any point in keeping Bale for another year if we don't act more adventurous this summer and kind of go for it a bit more.

Its just hard to know what's really going on/going to happen. Still think we'll keep him for another season, but I'm not as confident as I was a few weeks ago.

Mr Pink said:

I'd get worried if we went out and spunked another 20 million. As it stands we need to show more ambition and there isn't any point in keeping Bale for another year if we don't act more adventurous this summer and kind of go for it a bit more.

Its just hard to know what's really going on/going to happen. Still think we'll keep him for another season, but I'm not as confident as I was a few weeks ago.

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Well Soldado is about as ambitious as we can get considering our "restrictions", so that's good headway. Him, Paulinho and Chadli is the strongest window in a very long time and should go a way to keeping Bale happy.

Having said that, I honestly don't see Bale wanting to push through a transfer or even leave this year. My worry is what we do, as in to say that I reckon the choice will be made on our side. If Levy feels the offer is good enough and better than he'll ever get then Bale will go, regardless of whether Bale is content to stay or not.

I believe Levy sees the on the pitch and off the pitch value of keeping Bale for another year. He's a superstar, and the amount of commercial interest around the world he is generating is golden for the club.

Syn_13 said:

Well Soldado is about as ambitious as we can get considering our "restrictions", so that's good headway. Him, Paulinho and Chadli is the strongest window in a very long time and should go a way to keeping Bale happy.

Having said that, I honestly don't see Bale wanting to push through a transfer or even leave this year. My worry is what we do, as in to say that I reckon the choice will be made on our side. If Levy feels the offer is good enough and better than he'll ever get then Bale will go, regardless of whether Bale is content to stay or not.

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Yes agree mate. One thing is for dam sure, it comes down to one thing and one thing only. The size of an offer. Not sure Bale would be up for Madrid this year but United will be the ones to watch IMO.

Levy will not give Bale to those fucks for one penny less than what he deems is the value of selling Bale to a rival here.

I believe that will be around the 100 million mark. I'm confident they won't bid anywhere near that.

Bale won't hand in a transfer request and try a force a move. So I just can't really see it happening unless we are about to witness something completely unprecedented in the transfer market.

danielneeds said:

I believe Levy sees the on the pitch and off the pitch value of keeping Bale for another year. He's a superstar, and the amount of commercial interest around the world he is generating is golden for the club.

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That's exactly what I'm banking on.

Just watch this space. Bale is now 24 (July 16th 2013) and is prime for a sale for the most money at the moment.

As I have said before, if he gets targeted with stupid challenges (which he will) and gets injured, his value plummets. His suitors will use that as weight for bargaining when the next window comes up.

People have to remember that he has a history of back problems as well.

Rupstoh said:

Just watch this space. Bale is now 24 (July 16th 2013) and is prime for a sale for the most money at the moment.

As I have said before, if he gets targeted with stupid challenges (which he will) and gets injured, his value plummets. His suitors will use that as weight for bargaining when the next window comes up.

People have to remember that he has a history of back problems as well.

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Ok buddy, we get your point

For him to go this summer will take far more than £100m imo...even approaching Messi's £200+million buyout clause which PSV threatened to activate last week. All the factors combined make this the 'perfect storm' for an astonishing fee if he does go.

He is now a franchise player and now is the time that we are building a franchise more than ever before in our history- with a Stadium project to fund and a world brand to build. Not to mention the fact that aside from £10’s of millions he adds to potential sponsorship/naming rights deals, his remaining here for the season probably increases our chances of 4th (and with Soldardo/Coentrão and Sanchez added even winning the thing) by 50%.
And with the Champions League worth £50million, you can be sure that Levy as the shrewdest kid on the block will only be astonished by the relative lowness of the speculated bids in anti spurs agenda rags like the Star/Mirror headlines... 'Astonishing 60m bid being prepaired by Man U'.

Aside from his value to us, and the fact that we will never have a better player available to us, his transfer market value as a footballer alone is surely at least that of Ronaldo when he left Man U in 2009, which would be £95m at current rates (http://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1hsqrm). In fact there are several factors which would indicate that he would have a higher value than Ronaldo '09 version, and I'd expect Levy to be aware of all of them.

1: He is coming off of a far better season than Ronaldo did in his last one with Man U - 08/09 - 63 games, 5101mins, 21 (+6pens goals), 11 assists for a goal/assist per 160minutes without penalties http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/cristiano-ronaldo-dos-santos-aveiro/leistungsdaten/spieler_8198_2008.html .

With Bale trumping him scoring/assisting every 98 minutes (52 games, 4498mins, 29 goals (2 pens) and 17 assists). In general he is on an upswing as a footballer and (theoretically) the perfect complement for Ronaldo on the left wing.
http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/gareth-bale/leistungsdaten/spieler_39381_2012.html

2: Bale has been achieving his stats in worse sides us/Wales than Ronaldo with Man U/Portugal

3: Bale is younger by 6 months than Ronaldo.

4: Unlike Ronaldo Bale is not agitating for a move, and claims to have dreamed of Madrid as a kid are laughable

5: The surrounding transfer market is a far more wealthy one than 4 years ago with all the 'Super-clubs' turning over at least 1/3 more than at the start of the credit crunch in 09. Man U have new sponserships of over £100 million/year newly signed, and stated that there is no limit on who they can buy. Bayern Munich the same. PSV, Monaco have both spent 60million (three times already this summer) with no signs of slowdown. Man City could be considered serious bidders post title win too.

On a marketing front other facts to consider are

6: Retrospectively the Ronaldo fee is considered a bargain. And payed for himself through marketing already. It should not be a cap, but a starting point for negotiations.

7: Despite the bluster Ronaldo is clearly not signing a new deal on terms Real can tolerate for a 28 year old who wants 100% of his own image rights and so Real are forced to sign his 'Brand replacement’ in their evangelising business model.

8: There is a one man list, as Zidane has alreadys said and they have already conceded that it will take a world record bid to get him.

9: Bale is more marketable than Ronaldo, as a less obnoxious playboy personality and family man.

10: Neymar will be rubbed in their face from now until the world cup which will egg them on to respond to Barcelona in the childish realpolitick underpinning Spanish sporting dynamics.