Gareth Bale (Rumour to Deal Done)

[Rupstoh]

For him to go this summer will take far more than £100m the way I see it...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%.
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, 27 goals, 11 assists for a goal/assist per 134minutes http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/cristiano-ronaldo-dos-santos-aveiro/leistungsdaten/spieler_8198_2008.html). With Bale trumping him scoreing/assisting every 93 minutes (52 games, 4498mins, 31 goals and 17 assists). In general he is on an upswing as a footballer and (theoretically) the perfect complement for Ronaldo on the left wing.

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.

Over 4 years younger, not months mate

 

[Bobbyh99]

Over 4 years younger, not months mate

At the time of his transfer!!

 

[Mr Pink]

Over 4 years younger, not months mate

He meant 6 months younger than Ronaldo was in 09 when he moved you div lol

 

[Rupstoh]

He meant 6 months younger than Ronaldo was in 09 when he moved you div lol

Did he? He didn't mention that lol

 

[Mr Pink]

Did he? He didn't mention that lol

Honestly, read the post from start to finish

 

[ginger]

I did! And that is the reason why if the bids top out at £100m this summer we might aswell enjoy him for another year together with all the commercial benifits he brings, he will only be 6 months older than Ronaldo '09, and so his age would only make a negligable difference to the expected market value next summer.

 

[fortworthspur]

Bale isnt going anywhere this summer.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

When Bale goes, and I am certain it won't be this season, I kind of want him to go to Barca. 1st it would massively piss of RM which is reason enough and 2nd, I would love to see Neymar, Messi and Bale in a front three. I wonder if they would brake football.

 

[Dixie]

When Bale goes, and I am certain it won't be this season, I kind of want him to go to Barca. 1st it would massively piss of RM which is reason enough and 2nd, I would love to see Neymar, Messi and Bale in a front three. I wonder if they would brake football.

now that would just be plain unfair haha.

 

[Mr Pink]

Well blow me down with a feather or an A&C dildo...the Mail have a positive story on Bale, reporting he's likely to stay for a quite a few reasons!

Auck they're not that bad actually

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...Andre-Villas-Boas-Tottenham--Neil-Ashton.html

 

[coopsy13]

Do Southampton have a sell on clause with bale? According to that article they do. ?

 

[Scorpio666]

Do Southampton have a sell on clause with bale? According to that article they do. ?

They surrendered their sell on clause shortly after sale I believe as they desperately needed funds. Buying fee was reduced at the same time.

 

[minesadouble]

Poor article in the Mail. Badly researched (the Soton share of fee), slanted (implying our players were 'hawked') and generally full of guff any likely reader would already know. The Mail was, is and always will be a pretentious rag, trying to portray itself as serious, but simply not prepared to do the work required to be taken seriously.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

To the people who are adamant Bale won't be sold this summer:

Why are Levy and AVB so relectant to categorically state that he'll be staying? That is, after all, the done thing in such situations.

I think it's still in the balance, and the fact that Marca have completed a full 180 on their previous claim that Levy was refusing to negotiate and that Madrid would be waiting until next summmer to make their move demonstrates that something has happened to suggest that a deal could be made this summer.

Of course I'm absolute bricking it at the possiblity of him leaving before the end of the window...

 

[allatsea]

To the people who are adamant Bale won't be sold this summer:

Why are Levy and AVB so relectant to categorically state that he'll be staying? That is, after all, the done thing in such situations.

I think it's still in the balance, and the fact that Marca have completed a full 180 on their previous claim that Levy was refusing to negotiate and that Madrid would be waiting until next summmer to make their move demonstrates that something has happened to suggest that a deal could be made this summer.

Of course I'm absolute bricking it at the possiblity of him leaving before the end of the window...

Turn to turn your hearing aid up. AVB has repeatedly said Bale is not leaving this summer.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Turn to turn your hearing aid up. AVB has repeatedly said Bale is not leaving this summer.

I don't regard stuff like 'we're counting on him to stay' as a categorical denial that he could leave, not at all.

 

[ClintEastwould]

Turn to turn your hearing aid up. AVB has repeatedly said Bale is not leaving this summer.

To be fair, AVB hasnt said its 100% certain he'll be staying, at least not anything like Levy's statement over Modric during the chav saga. I also think its quite fishy that Marca conceded defeat for a week only to U-turn completely. I think Madrid offered the club or Bale an outrageous offer that would at least make us listen

 

[Clive Wilson]

I'm with the pessamists above. To me we are clearly appeasing fans whilst not pissing off Madrid but using passive language.

I think he will go :'(

 

[mk_spur]

To the people who are adamant Bale won't be sold this summer:

Why are Levy and AVB so relectant to categorically state that he'll be staying? That is, after all, the done thing in such situations.

I think it's still in the balance, and the fact that Marca have completed a full 180 on their previous claim that Levy was refusing to negotiate and that Madrid would be waiting until next summmer to make their move demonstrates that something has happened to suggest that a deal could be made this summer.

Of course I'm absolute bricking it at the possiblity of him leaving before the end of the window...

If we were do you think we would of missed out on villa , benteke and possibly soldado (fingers crossed we get him) if levy knew we were getting 85 million? even he would just go and get the players. Bale will be here next year in fact the only thing that annoys me about this all is madrids blatant tapping up, our supposed partnership and the people that fall for marca's madrids drip fed stories. man up people....

 

[ginger]

To the people who are adamant Bale won't be sold this summer:

Why are Levy and AVB so relectant to categorically state that he'll be staying? That is, after all, the done thing in such situations.

I think it's still in the balance, and the fact that Marca have completed a full 180 on their previous claim that Levy was refusing to negotiate and that Madrid would be waiting until next summmer to make their move demonstrates that something has happened to suggest that a deal could be made this summer.

Of course I'm absolute bricking it at the possiblity of him leaving before the end of the window...

We should let them make whatever offer they like, just to generate a starting point for next year if he has another season like this one. It is just proper negotiation strategy. Speaking about a price is just valuing an asset not agreeing to sell it- not to say we would not sell if the offers get properly stupid and pay off most of the Stadium without undertaking debt...which is why the club cannot take the Modric 2011 stance and speak in absolutes.