This season, there is one young man whose name has been on everyone’s lips: Gareth Bale. This season has marked a turning point in his career where he has developed from a good player into a world-beater. The driving force behind Tottenham’s push into the top four, he is the perfect mixture of pace, skill and has the ability to score from places on the pitch which no man should. Some have even muttered his name in the same breath as Messi and Ronaldo!
Yet for a player of his calibre, Spurs is a “small” club, and are unlikely to match his potential of challenging for the Premier League or Champions League medal any time soon; this is by no means meant in a disrespectful way to Spurs, but they do not have the financial clout, infrastructure or pulling power to compete with Europe’s top clubs and attract players of a similar level as Bale.
But the question remains lingering, much to the annoyance of Spurs fans: will he be at White Hart Lane next season? Here are the three clubs leading the chase for the Welshman:
Real Madrid
Bale has been linked endlessly with the Spanish giants for as long as I can remember! Rumours of bids as high as £60m have been bandied about, which would certainly be hard for Spurs to turn down, however some reports suggest there is a £100m asking price for the Welshman! It seems El Galacticos are keen to bolster their attacking options this summer, with Benzema hitting a poultry 9 goals in La Liga, much of the burden falls on Ronaldo to contribute to the goals Perez wants to sign Bale to release some of that pressure. Furthermore, if recent news is to be believed, Ronaldo seemingly wants a move away from Madrid, claiming he is “sad”, and rumours of rifts within the squad and Mourinho’s uncertain future, there could be substance to such claims. If Ronaldo does move, this summer could see the beginning of an endless and brutal pursuit of the Welshman.
Gareth Bale with his PFA Player of the Year Trophy together with his PFA Young Player of the Year Award
Manchester Utd
It’s difficult for any player to say no when Utd come knocking. With Giggs coming to the end of his playing career, Bale could be the ideal man to plug that gap. Like his fellow countryman, Gareth Bale is able to pick passes that others are unable to see, and push forward like others are not, yet Bale seems to be able to contribute in the goals department like his older compatriot has not done for several years; he would undoubtedly add another dimension to this already successful Utd side. However, with Ferguson’s imminent retirement and Moyes’ arrival, much remains unanswered as to whether the new successor can attract players of the highest quality.
Manchester City
Not to be outdone, the “noisy neighbours” will not want to miss out on the PFA and FWA player of the year. Having missed out on van Persie to their bitter rivals, it not unthinkable that City would sign Bale just so United don’t! They have the financial backing and set-up in place to attract the best in the world, and could afford to beat Bale’s current wages of £75,000 a week. Last summer’s signings failed to provide the spark that could have seen City retain their title, so Mancini will be quick to ratify their previous mistakes. Signing Bale could do what van Persie did for United; provide the springboard for success once again.
Only time will tell what Gareth Bale’s plans are. He’s been canny to not totally dismiss any move away from the Lane, keeping his options open for a summer move. I feel that if Spurs can hold off their North London rivals in the race for the final Champions League spot, then Bale may stay another season at the Lane; fail to do so, and Bale could cash in on his form and move to greener pastures.
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