A Bit Of Perspective On The Gareth Bale Saga
Real Madrid really are cheeky bunch of so and sos, aren’t they?
What other club embroiled in a tug of war for a very special player starts selling shirts with said player’s name on the back even before the signing has been made official?
Not many, but that is exactly what Real Madrid did last weekend and it looks as though the saga is finally coming to an end. Even Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas admits the game is up; Gareth Bale will be packing his bags and leaving for sunny Spain.
The fee? A reported £86m. Let that sink in. That is £6m more than they paid for Cristiano Ronaldo, who had just finished a truly sublime season at Manchester United during which he scored 40+ goals and picked up the same awards Bale did. You have to say, too, that Madrid have really got value for money out of the deal. Whilst his haul of silverware in Spain may not be as impressive as it was at United he has still won a La Liga and his goalscoring record alone speaks volumes to what a special talent he is (that’s 146 goals in 137 appearances just in case you were asking).
So, when Madrid do eventually complete the deal for Bale they will have £166m worth of talent on either wing. Quite staggering really. And with the title of ‘World’s most expensive footballer’ comes a great deal of expectation for the 24 year old Bale. Will he be able to deliver? We know he is a special talent but Madrid will expecting him to propel himself into the upper echelon along with Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. It is a big ask.
Looking at the bigger picture the fact that Madrid are willing to once again pay £80m+ for one player is incredible. Europe is in a deep recession and Spain has been dangerously close to a bailout for some time now, so to see nearly £90m spent on one player is truly absurd. But that is exactly what football has become. Absurd.
You have to give credit to Spurs who have reinvested the money very wisely and quickly. And apparently they are not done yet as reports suggest that Roma’s Erik Lamela will heading to north London too, as Villas-Boas looks to build a squad that can not survive without Bale but also challenge for silverware.
As for Bale, though, if things don’t work out and Madrid don’t win a Champions League soon then that £86m will quickly look like a big waste of money.
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