A ludicrous bid that Tottenham would be stupid to turn down
Let’s chalk this one off as pure speculation, because if it were true, Real Madrid need to take a long walk and think about what they’re doing. Actually, that can be applied to Tottenham, too. Daniel Levy has maintained that Gareth Bale is not for sale at any price, even the reported £85 million – a figure that sprung up this past weekend. At that price, Tottenham would be insane to turn it down.
I get it, Tottenham are trying to maintain a reputation against the ‘bullies’ in European football. Levy wouldn’t want to shake from his position, even when it’s Real Madrid at the other end of the line. But in what world could any club turn down £85 million and come off looking like the lesser of two teams?
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The biggest point from all this is that Gareth Bale isn’t worth £85million. To Tottenham, yes, he’s worth probably double that. But a club’s own value and need for a player doesn’t always translate to the market. Is it worth bringing up the discussion as to whether Bale is an equal to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? It’s been done to death at this point.
A big team from the Premier League could call Swansea this summer and demand to know their value of Michu. “£30 million,” they’d probably reply. Ok, fair enough. He scored bags of goals and helped them win the League Cup. On the open market, however, and in terms of everyone else’s value, he’s simply not worth that.
Gareth Bale has more than carried Tottenham this season, only enhancing his reputation in England and further promoting his talent as either a rising star or a readymade superstar, depending on who you ask. This isn’t to debunk his qualities, as even regular English pundits have him down as the complete package in world football, with some even daring to suggest that he’s better than Ronaldo. There’s something about Bale doing in it a lesser team that seems to legitimise that argument.
It shouldn’t matter what Tottenham’s plans are for the immediate future with Bale, because if Real Madrid or any other team offer a figure in or around £85 million, you tear their hand off and take it. Does that mean Tottenham will have lost the war? No, in fact they’ve probably won it. Because at no other point will another bid close to that number come in, largely because, as I’m suggesting, he isn’t worth it.
So where do Tottenham go from there? Actually maybe it should be where do Real Madrid go from here.
A bid of £40million could reportedly get you Luis Suarez. Depending on what your stance is, some would say Suarez had the better season, regardless of personal awards. What about players in the mould of Mesut Ozil? In that title-winning season with Madrid, Ozil bagged 20 assists in all competitions and set himself up as one of the team’s most important players. He arrived for £15million from Werder Bremen; his contract situation is irrelevant. Marco Reus joined Dortmund for €17million last summer and contributed in 22 goals this season to Bale’s 25 (goals and assists). Then there are names like Edinson Cavani, Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gotze, James Rodriguez, who have either gone or could go for far less than £85million. Again, depending on who you ask, some of those names are better than Bale.
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So about Tottenham. With numbers so ridiculous that there can be only one answer, the matter is open as to whether Spurs want to be a team who rely heavily on one player or a team who have three or four game changers who could comfortably replace and outdo the contributions of Bale. The argument about Champions League football could come up, but James Rodriguez, Cavani and Radamel Falcao won’t or haven’t be involved in the Champions League this season or next season. With that sort of money, this Tottenham team can be transformed in the way some of the bigger teams in Europe have been, but obviously with a calculated approach and the knowledge that there isn’t a bottomless pit of cash.
Throwing around transfer figures like that, as they have been in the Spanish press, just reaffirms Real Madrid’s absolute desire in capturing Bale. It was much easier to assume that the La Liga club would never reach a fee so lofty for Bale, as other than Ronaldo, there is enough evidence to show that the selling club doesn’t always get what they want. But if this is what it’s come to – and you really have to hope football hasn’t gone this mad – then Tottenham simply need to cut ties and accept what is a once-in-a-lifetime offer.
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