seems that RM quote 85M.....is it time should we say yes?? 

 
I personally didn't want to talk too much about the bale transfer speculation both before and during the Barclays Asia Trophy week but maybe time to give my opinion for what it's worth ....

Bale is obviously an exceptional player and a serious asset for the current Tottenham squad. These days football is as much about financial and business matters as it is about glory, passion and loyalty. The sad thing about the modern game is that we now have players in the sport that are valued bigger as individuals than many entire football clubs are valued at.

As a Spurs fan, of course I want us to win trophies and at our current level of football, our targets are hopefully winning a Premiership and eventually a Champions League trophy before I become a pensioner or even six feet under the ground!

85 million (or even more) is a lot of money and 98% of the big clubs on the planet would prbably sell any player for that amount without any question asked. However over the past few years we Spurs fans seem to try and have it every way we want it. If we sell a top level player (like we did Berbatov, Modric etc.) we later moan that we are not ambitious enough to compete at the top level. If we keep players like that, who generally wanted out to play for a bigger club, we say it's not good business and could of used the money to invest in newer, younger players for the future. The problem is with the latter is that we had already done this and the future is here and now. We had narrowly and unluckily, missed out on CL football 2 years in a row, so surely we are very close to where we want to be. Players like Bale (but not just Bale) make this happen.

We have strengthened the squad with somke good new signings and have kept better players in the existing squad (e.g. Vertoghnen, Dembele, Sandro, Lhoris etc.) and I think we will be playing good football for the 2013-2014 season. If Levy decided to part company with Bale, I still think we would be strong next season, but keeping him will make us stronger. I think as a professional, if Bale stayed but wanted to leave, he would still stay professional in his attitude and contribute big time for the up and coming campaign.

I believe that Levy is standing firm on Bale for two reasons. The first is the obvious one - because he's a great player and will score goals. The 2nd reason is the one that I think a few Spurs fans are missing and over-looking. The reason is because he has made a stand on the question that Tottenham want to stop being a nearly Champions League side and want to be a regular Champions League side, playing at the top of the English Premiership , year in and year out. You can't do that if you keep selling your best players to the clubs that are doing better than us year in and year out. You have to make a stand and when you do make that stand, you have to show the fans, the competing clubs around you and the other top players in your club that you are serious and that your club is serious about competing at the top level - even if you have to turn down 85 million or more in the process.

I think Levy is one of the smartest cookies in the business. We are in the process of building a new stadium and could do with some extra money in the bank balance after the stadium costs are assessed, but as a club, we have to keep growing in all areas if the ultimate goal is obtaining some serious silverware in that cabinet at White Hart Lane. I have no doubts that we will achieve our goals soon with or without the contributions of Gareth Bale, but Bale can make it happen sooner rather that a bit later!

COYS !!

BTW, another interesting article that touches a bit upon the above mentioned :

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/418171/Why-Tottenham-will-not-sell-Gareth-Bale-even-for-a-world-record-82m?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-express-sport-news+%28Daily+Express+%3A%3A+Sport+Feed%29

Stew.

 Levy, at least, has to show Paulinho that we "tried our best" to hold Bale.  If he insists to go, it is beyond my control.

Tricky one.  In recent years we’ve been accused of lacking ambition by selling our best players, although in a post Bosman era it would be irresponsible to allow an unsettled player to run down his contract and depart for nothing, reference Berbatov & Modric.

 

Levy, as was the case with the two above examples, is prepared to stand firm providing the player’s contract extends beyond 2 years. I think Levy’s intention is to retain Bale, at least for 12 months, on the expectation any bids would be around the £50-60m mark. That’s the sort of figure most other teams, other than Real Madrid, would offer. However the Real Madrid president must make a bold statement to seek re-election and having seen football’s other hottest property, Naymer, move to Barcelona, they seem prepared to offer an extraordinary amount.

 

£100m is the sort of bid you’d expect for no other player  than Messi. Bale has a long way to go before he can stand alongside him as one of the true greats and part of me feels we’re duty bound to accept an offer in excess of £90m. Furthermore, next summer is World Cup year and a new star may be borne that will catch Real Madrid’s eye. Due to the unique circumstances that govern Real Madrid, it is quite possible that if their attention turns elsewhere and Bale reaches the 2 year expiry threshold, after which the club’s negotiation hand is weakened, the price could tumble to £50-60m.

 

That said a midfield consisting of Paulinho, Sandros, Lennon, Dembele, and Bale, together with a proven striker, really is not that far from mounting a serious title challenge. It will take time for City to gel. United is an unknown force without Ferguson, Arsenal have yet to spend as promised. The leader contender at the moment appears to be Chelsea but they are not without problems.

 

 

Really not sure what I would do in this situation, probably employ someone like Levy to negoitate on my behalf! 

Looks like Levys gone for the jugular by sticking a 125m pound price on him. Surely we wouldnt turn that down...
Whatever the outcome, lets just hope it all doesnt unfold on Aug 31st 

 
There's the entire Spansih media, Real Madrid and even ex-Gooners (like John Hartson) and the British media hyping up that Gareth Bale should leave Tottenham and play for Real. However a few journalists riase a big question mark on whether that is even the right move for Bale.

Where's he going to play in the current RM line-up? Compete for the same position as Ronaldo? Play up fron as a lone striker? There's a chance that he may not be guaranteed a full game in that team. Real Madrid have a habit of buying a superstar player without thinking on where and when to play him. It could damage his career.


Stew.

I don't blame Bale for wanting to test himself at a mega club like Real Madrid or experience life outside the UK. However, he was one that agreed to a new 4 year deal last summer that took his weekly wage from 40k to 80k per week, giving him financial security for life. He is under contract and Spurs don't want to sell. Live with it! The chances are come next summer , with 2 years left on his contract, Spurs are unlikely to turn away bids unless Bale signs an extention. Worse case scenario is he must wait until he is 27 years old, leave as a free agent and pocket a mega financial signing on fee.

Either way, he should knuckle down and thank his lucky stars he has an guaranteed minimum income of 80k per week for the next 3 years.

( and I was starting to feel so good about the game after last week !!!)

 
Well said Jez.

We always hear about footballers dreams of playing for this club and that club, but essentially they are young men that areinfluenced by the people around them, mainly the money grabbing agents.

Remember Berbatov saying that it was his dream to play for Tottenham, only a couple of years later, saying that it was his dream to play for Man Utd. A man with many different dreams no doubt.

What about the dreams of the monley spending fans? Can you imagine earning 80k a week at the age of 23 or 24, doing what is essentially your hobby?

Knuckle down and play the football for the club that has made your name.

Stew.

Both Madrid and Barca are really both disgraceful , Spain as a country is nearly bankrupt they had to go to the European Union for a Euro bailout , the average man in the street is struggling yet these to clubs want to pay tram ticket numbers for players , the EU should step in and put a stop to this situation

I don't think the Bale saga will impact our summer transfer policy even if the deal is signed on the 31st August. We can't replace Bale anyway and the club is continung to invest in big summer signings.