The continuing rumor mill in English Premier League circles is if the powerbrokers at Spurs will put pen to paper on a record transfer fee and see their star forward Gareth Bale move to the Bernabau and in the process high five Angel Di Maria and Fabio Coentrao on the way through the door.
The Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy’s position has always been to retain the services and talents of Bale at the club but the pressure from Real Madrid and the huge pay day on offer along with the services of Di Maria and Coentrao could be a carrot that is far too large to push aside.
For Spurs the dilemma facing the club is do they roll the dice and cash in their chips on what will be the biggest pay day for the Champions League starved club or stick with Bale who could deliver them a birth next season? Bale delivered an amazing 21 EPL goals last season that would fill a largest highlights reel. The possibility of Di Maria getting close to those numbers together with signing a striker equal to the class of Bale is rare as hen’s teeth. It has been reported that Tottenham may target Paris St-Germain’s midfielder Javier Pastore if the Bale transfer sees the light of day. Pastore scored four goals for PSG last season as an attacking midfielder but his style and ability to find strikers in space could strengthen the first eleven and sure up things in the middle.
Like any player from park football all the way to the biggest leagues in the world, they are not driven solely by the almighty dollar; they want team success and trophies. For Bale he has been starved of playing in the best club competition in the world that is the Champions League. He can only truly go to the next level if he is playing against the big European clubs and the playing talents on a regular basis. Playing in a team alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, and Xabi Alonso each and every week will help evolve the Bale game into one that will be feared by defensive lines from Spain all the way to the might of the Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
One thing is for certain all will be reveled by Levy after he has been forced to make an early return to White Hart Lane to begin the unenviable task of either retaining or succumbing to the almighty Euro. The longer the transfer speculation continues at Spurs the harder things will be for André Villas-Boas to prepare a squad for the upcoming season. AVB enjoyed a fairly successful year at Tottenham upon his arrival from Stamford Bridge but we all know how fickle the fan base at White Hart Lane can be. This year their sole aim will be to finish in the top four whether it be at the expense of their fierce London rivals Arsenal or not.
In recent years it seems that Arsenal’s first priority is always squarely focused on staying in the lucrative European competition in preference to trophies and perhaps that is a good thing for the balance sheet, but like Spurs their fans ultimately demand more and would love the feeling of being able to tweet from the treetops that their beloved has some silverware. The longer a club is out of the Champions League wilderness the tougher the path is to return and be a competitive force.
The ultimate decision facing Spurs? Do they do the deal and profit from the rich talent that they have worked hard to develop or force Bale to stay at the club hoping that he will deliverer them more goals and success in 2013-14.
The smart money is that come mid-August, Gareth Bale will continue to wear an all white kit, that’s a dead set certainty!
Comments are closed.