Tottenham are nice, good, sometimes big. Real Madrid? Can’t ask for anything bigger and better when it comes to prestige, current and previous power, not to mention the money. Gareth Bale, one of the best wingers in the world, thinks it’s time to move from OK to the best.

It’s not that Spurs aren’t trying to move up the social ladder of European football, but aside from one season in the Champions League, it looks like all the money spent on new players and new managers isn’t paying off. The win in Old Trafford against Manchester United was the extraordinary in what has been another disappointing beginning to the campaign. Gareth Bale, with four league goals through the first 12 matches (Spurs are 8th, six points behind a UCL spot), seems to want out.

Luka Modric made the move from North London to Madrid during the summer and has been talking about wanting to play alongside Bale in the white jerseys of Real. Peer pressure always has some effect, and people around and close to Bale have expressed his desire (or at least theirs) to see him move on to a more ambitious club, or at least one that offers a better chance of fulfilling ambitions.

And how much will Bale, the 23 year old left back turned winger, one of the more impressive physical specimens in today’s game, cost to bring over from England to Spain? Summer rumors talked about Spurs and Barcelona talking about a price range of £40 million, about 25-30% more than what Modric cost. Now, the talk is about €62 million that Real will have to pay for the Wales international, who recently signed a four year extension on his contract.

Real Madrid aren’t the only team in the picture – Barcelona and Manchester City have both shown an interest in Bale, but at that kind of price, it’s unlikely Barcelona will be able to make a move for him while City are certainly capable  Still, there seems to be an agreement among Tottenham chiefs that if they are forced to sale Bale, it will not be to a Premier League club. Arsenal did beat them 5-2, but it doesn’t mean you want to repeat their mistakes with Robin van Persie and others.

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