Six reasons why Gareth Bale won’t be at Tottenham next season... "...In reality, Bale is a commodity. He may not have the final say on his future"... 1. A whole new ball game There are some decent players at Spurs who finished fifth last year with a record number of Premier League points – Sandro, Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele, Younes Kaboul, for instance. Yet Bale would be forgiven for wanting to turning out with the genuine world-class big guns currently lining up at the likes of Real Madrid. Throw in the fact Spurs boss Andre Villas Boas has also this week been courted by PSG it could give Bale the extra excuse to demand an exit and follow him to France. The one thing we can say, however, is he genuinely loves the club and would hate to create a lengthy drawn-out Modric situation. In reality, however, Bale is a commodity, as a well as a much-loved player for Spurs. He knows it and the club know it and in the end, it may not necessarily be the amiable Welshman who has a final say on him staying or going. 2. Nice little earner Tottenham are not the lowest payers in the Premier League, by a long stretch. But they have been sensible so far and refused to put the club’s financial position in jeopardy by offering bank-breaking silly money. Hence, some would say, why they constantly fail to lure half of the foreign stars they are annually linked with in the summer. There has been talk that Bale has been tempted with a deal of up to £130,000-a-week to stay for at least another year. Mind boggling as that might sound, that has already become a bench mark figure for far less talented journeymen mercenaries. In reality, Bale could expect something closer to £200,000 at one of Europe’s top clubs and even for a nice lad from Cardiff, who has shown his genuine affection and loyalty for Tottenham, that might be to much to ignore. And can their fans really blame him? 3. In the end, money talks. In this world of ludicrously-inflated price tags Bale’s value seems to grow by the week. £50 million? Come back next week, pal. £70million? Nice try, you schmuck. This week, Paris St Germain have entered the lottery with talk of a whopping £85m bid. And don’t be surprised to see the new money-no-object owners of Monaco waiting in the wings ready to blow everyone else out of the water just because, well, they can. If they offered anything above that Daniel Levy would, in reality, be mad not to take the cash and reinvest it in a world-class creative midfielder and a couple of decent strikers. Make that three. 4. He needs Champions League football A much-used lazy understatement. Almost as if Cristiano Ronaldo would suddenly quit Portugal because he needs to win the World Cup or George Best would never have played for Northern Ireland for the same reason. Perhaps, but Bale knows in his heart of hearts Wales are unlikely to qualify for a major international tournament any time soon, meaning top-level club football is his best chance to prove himself against the elite of the game. Saturday night exposure on Match of the Day is one thing, but most modern players seem to judge the big-time by shaking hands with Bayern Munich or Barcelona’s finest on a chilly autumn Tuesday evening against a backdrop of Heineken adverts, Clive Tyldesley commentaries and that alternative European national anthem just before the first ad break. Bale has graced the Champions League before with Spurs’ under Harry Redknapp in 2020/11, of course, when his swashbuckling displays against the likes of Inter Milan made the world sit up and take notice. But with Tottenham again missing on qualification last season and consigned to another less appetising helping of Europa League football, Bale’s hunger for the senior European competition may be telling. 5. Spurs always sell their best players The Tottenham board certainly have form in this area. Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United, Luka Modric to Real Madrid – although to be fair, unlike Bale (so far) both players made it abundantly clear they wanted out of White Hart Lane, which meant it was easier for Spurs fans to eventually see them go. Chairman Daniel Levy hates to be taken for a ride, though, and only sells at the right price. The key, however, is he does usually sell. And for the wonga being floated around the head of Bale, the smart money says the Spurs hierarchy will eventually cash in on their biggest asset, especially with a new stadium to be paid for. 6. Is he worth all the fuss? If you think a bloke kicking a piece of leather around a pitch is worth more than the GDP of a small African Country, then no. But in the parallel universe of sport and football, where even mediocre players are valued more than a Leonardo Da Vinci or Van Gough original well, then, probably. Bale’s extraordinary match-winning performances in the past few seasons have made him a strong contender for inclusion in an all-time Tottenham Hotspur X1, alongside the likes of Mackay, Hoddle, Greaves and Gascoigne. In other words, he is one of those rare talents not only special for this current moment in time for club and country, but capable of transcending eras and entering the hallowed halls of all-time British greatness. Over exaggeration? The fact the Welshman is mentioned in the same breath as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two current players who certainly deserve to be rated among the all-time greats of the game, speaks volumes. For that reason alone, he is being coveted above all others.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:11:26 +0000
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