Jeff Graceffo - Should Gareth Bale Stay at Tottenham?

Since the end of the 2012-13 campaign there was one question on the minds of soccer fans around the world, and that is what team Gareth Bale would play for in the upcoming season. Although Bale signed a three year contract extension before the beginning of last season, his incredible campaign caused rumors to swirl about a transfer to Real Madrid. The amount of misinformation that has been spread regarding this possible transfer is nauseating. However, Bale is a brand. He is a special player, and there are only a few of them so news of him leaving Tottenham caused mayhem.


First, let's examine it from Real Madrid's side. Real Madrid is arguably the greatest club in the world that possesses a history like no other. However, during the past five years their arch rivals, Barcelona, have got the better of them. With the recent signing of Neymar, the Catalonian side appears to have tightened its grasp on La Liga's top spot. This caused a panic in Madrid which led them to launch a world record bid of over 80 million pounds, breaking the transfer fee they paid Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.  The final numbers are not official as it has been mentioned that they bid up to 105 million pounds. Some argued that this number was astronomical, but I do not see it this way. Madrid is judged by one thing, championships.  Bale's addition would take them to another level. The possibility of Bale and Ronaldo playing on both wings would present an incredible display of football. The matchup would cause the opposition to spread their defense across the entire field, which would open up the middle for world class players such as Mesut Ozil, Karim Benzema, and Angel Di Maria.
I believe that they would be an unstoppable force, and if it costs them 105 million pounds then so be it. He is worth every penny. If Madrid lets a few million pounds get in the way of this acquisition then they will make a monumental mistake.

The Tottenham side is a different story. While Tottenham made great strides during the past few seasons, they are not consistently in the Premiership's top four.  Gareth Bale provides them with the opportunity to not only place in the top four, but to win the championship.  He was a one man show last year and he single-handedly almost landed them a champions league spot. He is a player like no other in the Premier League. Every time he possesses the ball it feels as if magic is about to happen.  He is a once in a generation talent.  Although 105 million pounds is more money than any team could dream of, I think they should hold on to him and try to establish themselves as a top four team.  Bale can spread the Tottenham brand across the globe.  I wish that I had access to the numbers that the Spurs Chairman, Daniel Levy, has at his disposal as to what Bale's true value is.  The United States is finally warming up to soccer, and Gareth Bale could make Spurs America's favorite team.  The jersey sales, and television revenue that he generates is massive. I don't think that there is a price for Bale. His value is immeasurable.  However, I do understand that he is only one injury away from not being worth anything, and the Spurs are building a $500 million pound stadium across the street from White Hart Lane so that fee would be a nice down payment.

The final side to discuss here is Gareth Bale's.  Only he knows the answer to this. However, I will express my opinion on the matter.  While playing for Real Madrid is a dream that every player has, if he were to go there then he would be just another superstar that has worn their uniform. If he stays at Tottenham and leads them to a premiership title then he will be remembered forever there and probably have a statue of him erected in front of their new state of the art facility. In addition, moving to a new country where you don't know the language is not the easiest transition. Furthermore, the attention he will have on him at Madrid will be unlike anything he has in England where the Spurs share the London fan base with numerous teams including powers Chelsea and Arsenal.

While it would be great to believe that money does not talk, that is just not the case. My romantic side wants to believe that Bale will stay, but common sense tells me that the money will be too much for Daniel Levy to decline. However, if Levy were to make Bale the highest paid player in the league, then perhaps he would agree to remain for an additional year. The transfer window ends on August 31. It will be an interesting end to what has been a very loud off season.

By Jeff Graceffo

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Jeff Graceffo - Is Madrid The Best Fit?

ESPNFC - Inside Sources Say Bale Will Not Play For Spurs Again
BBC - Andre Villas Boas Upset at Real Madrid
The Telegraph - Bale Refuses To Talk
Bleacher Report - Gareth Bale Page