The elephant in the room

[NEVILLEB]

If Levy sells Bale I will hunt him down!

We don't need the money and Bale is irreplaceable.

2 seasons ago we had three world class attacking players. If Bale goes we'd have wasted an amazing opportunity to push on.

He's got to keep him at least for this season.

 

[Spurger King]

My onions on Bale...

For me it's all about timing. I fully expect him to leave next season, but Madrid are apparently throwing their toys out of their pram because they want him early. This could end up being pretty moronic behaviour on their part.

Keeping Bale isn't just about what he can do for us next season, but about the gesture it represents at being able to keep hold of one of the top players in the world for another season. He's globally recognised, and to keep him at the Lane would mean a massive amount of publicity across the world. We're already seeing the possibilities of this for the Spurs brand (FIFA computer game cover, BT, even gigantic billboards on Broadway).

Another reason why timing is important is in finding a replacement. We could bring in Paulinho, Chadli, and Soldado, but if we follow that with the sale of Bale the average Spurs fan (and fans in general) are not going to look at this as pre-spending the cash, but as two steps forward and five steps back. We'd need to bring in some huge signing to compensate for the damage done by this sale, and I can only see players like Lamela or Robben even coming close to that. Given the short amount of time before the season starts I can't see us starting and finishing negotiations for either of those players. You can't pocket north of £80m for your star player without being seen to use part of that cash to replace them, and I just don't think there's enough time left to do this. When Bale goes, I expect it to be early in the window.

The fallout from selling Bale now would be astronomical. AVB could well decide to walk. Paulinho will feel hoodwinked, having been assured that Bale would stay. Without a galactico signing of our own to follow the sale of Bale we'd go into the season on a massive downer akin to the whole Berbatov/Frazier Campbell fiasco.

I just cannot see it happening this summer. The circumstances are incredibly negative for us, yet we hold all the cards. Everything points to next season.

 

[Bobbins]

A day may come, when the courage of Levy fails and we break all bonds of fellowship with Bale. But it is not this day.

An hour of Gooners, and tapping up, when the age of Bale comes crashing down. But it is not this day!

This day we fight!

100% not going this summer - he may go next year, but even that is, I think, a 50/50 chance based on how we do - with the squad we're putting together, and a little bit of luck (I know), we could genuinely push for the title this season, let alone 4th. If that happened, who's to say he might not want to stay another year?

When he finally does go, he will make us such crazy money that we will be able to buy two great replacements and make a huge dent in the stadium budget, and that, combined with the joy we've had watching him play, will forever cement his status as a Spurs legend.

 

[Lufti]

Yeah because those big money swap deals happen all the time.

Haha dont worry im not expecting it - but we are in for coentrao apparently