Madrid calling
Messi’s mazy runs and Ronaldo’s bullet headers can wait. This is the time of the year that is reserved for games rich clubs play. We have had enough of nouveau riche French clubs in the last few weeks. Now the club that rewrote the rules of the transfer market in the 21st century have swung into action. Real Madrid want Gareth Bale, Tottenham’s flying Welshman. The most successful club in Europe want him at any cost. Real are ready to break the bank and shatter the record — £80 million — they had set while luring Cristiano Ronaldo away from Old Trafford. Ronaldo’s transfer hasn’t gone awry as the Portuguese has done justice to his exorbitant price. The sum bandied about to secure the signature of Bale is £100 million, which is roughly the amount IMG-Reliance would pay the All India Football Federation for a 15-year sponsorship deal.
Bale was sensational last season. Some of the goals he struck were so stunning that they defied the laws of geometry. Spurs pushed for a Champions League spot until the final day of the season on the back of Bale’s superlative performance and 21 goals.
Is Bale ready to become a Galactico? He, doubtless, has the talent to play for Real. Can he handle the pressure that comes with being a £100 million player? The Spanish media is notoriously fickle and can turn the heat on him even before he finds his feet in La Liga. Real manager Carlos Ancelotti may also have to contend with the massive ego of Ronaldo who stands to lose the tag of the most expensive football player if the Bale deal goes through.
With the exception of John Charles (Juventus) and Kevin Keegan (Hamburg), British players haven’t done well in foreign leagues. David Beckham wasn’t a disaster at Real, but then commerce overrode football in bringing him to the Bernabeu. Performing for a club like Spurs can’t be compared to the gigantic task of meeting the expectations of Madrid fans week in and week out. Bale can’t be faulted for showing interest in a Real move. He must be a monk to remain unimpressed by the truckload of cash the Spanish club are ready to splash for his signature. Spurs owner Daniel Levy has delusions of grandeur, but he may have no option other than selling his prized asset. Even though the proposed transfer fee flies in the face of prudence, it appears that Bale’s Real switch is a done deal.
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