There’s a good chance that if Real Madrid don’t hurry up, the player with the potential to become the most expensive transfer of all-time, Gareth Bale, might find himself leaving Tottenham for Paris Saint-Germain instead, who are also interested in getting their manager, Andre Villas-Boas to replace the probably departing Carlo Ancelotti.
According to the Daily Mail, PSG, who have been quiet so far in the transfer market, have been waiting quietly, first wanting to solve their managerial situation, as Ancelotti seems determined to leave the French champions and start his next coaching chapter with Real Madrid, a club that’s very difficult to say no to.
So what’s their first option for new manager? Andre Villas-Boas. Despite being fired from Chelsea and finishing fifth with Tottenham last season, there’s a certain aura of success and sophistication coming from Villas-Boas, maybe thanks to his Jose Mourinho connection from his younger days (not that he’s old right now) or his perfect season with Porto in 2010-2011. In order to get AVB they’ll have to pay £10 million.
Gareth Bale? This most recent season, seeing him finish with 26 goals in 44 matches and adding more and more pieces to his game in terms of positions he can play in an being more than just a sheer physical force breaking down the flanks, has turned him into probably the hottest commodity that might be for sale, and the price estimation and exaggeration between the press has raised his value to £85 million.
Is he worth breaking the transfer record for? Probably not, but it’s not always about what a player is worth, but simply beating the competition or persuading a stubborn owner who doesn’t want to sell. Bale is signed until 2016, and Tottenham, feeling they are a big club who doesn’t need to sell its best players when they’re after the Champions League qualification and much more, prefer not to become a feeder club to the richer sides in Europe, despite the enormous amount of money that will fall into their hands.
Selling both Bale and Villas-Boas? That’s almost taking two step backwards for a club that was inches away from being in the Champions League and isn’t missing much from joining the title race next season. As lucrative and appealing as £100 million might sound, Spurs might prefer keeping the men they see most responsible for their success last season.