I know everyone is worried about how Spurs will cope without their “talisman” if his supposed transfer to Real Madrid does go through, but will he be able to deal with playing second fiddle to a lot more prolific players at the Bernabeu?
Imagine it, a few years ago, you’re the unluckiest player in a team and have a statistic tied to your head of whenever you’re in a match day squad for your team, they lose. A few years pass and you get a little bit more playing time, your team ACTUALLY wins a game when you’re playing for them and you’re moved to a position up the pitch. You’re doing alright, then the latter half of the 2012/2013 season comes round and you hit a hot-streak that will rival anyone, and Spurs fan’s practically give you freedom of the city. Then the season ends and you hear an inkling of Real Madrid, one of the most prestigious clubs on the planet, want you. Everyone would jump at that wouldn’t they?
All of a sudden, you’re thrown into the melting pot that is Real Madrid, the absolute cauldron of a stadium where one bad performance and you are public enemy number one, but one scintillating turnout and you’ll be in their hearts forever. In my eyes, I don’t think Bale will be able to handle the pressure of Madrid. It’s not that he’s not got the potential to be good enough, I just think another season in the Premier League would confirm if he really is cut out for task of Madrid.
Bale is revered in Tottenham at the moment and it’s not like he’s getting on in age, is he? 24? I don’t think another season would do him any harm at all, but I can see why Tottenham would want to cash in. I can’t see his form from the second half of last season remaining as white hot, so he’s not going to become more valuable, only decline in price. I read reports suggesting that the fee for Bale won’t be in lump sum for Gareth, a fee of around £17.6 million every year for six years – massively beneficial to Real and probably hindering Tottenham as they won’t be able to really splash out on a player to replace him of the same supposed quality.
I say good riddance.
Sincerely, an Arsenal fan.