Bale will not leave Tottenham this summer, says Villas-Boas

Jun 20, 2013 4:27:00 PM

The Welshman is understood to be high on Real Madrid's list of transfer targets but his manager insists that the forward will be staying put

Andre Villas-Boas insists that Gareth Bale will not leave Tottenham this summer, despite strong interest from Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants have made no secret of their admiration for the Welshman, with president Florentino Perez recently suggesting they would make a bid once a new manager was in place at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Villas-Boas has revealed that chairman Daniel Levy has given his word that the 23-year-old will still be at White Hart Lane next season.

"We have the pledge of the chairman that Bale is not going to leave the club," the boss told Spanish newspaper Marca.
Bale's 26 goals in all competitions were not enough to secure a place in next season's Champions League, increasing speculation that he would be seeking a move away.
Tottenham are trying to tie the player down to a lucrative new £130,000 a week contract and have promised to allow him to leave next summer should the club once again fail to finish in the top four in 2012-13.
Having recently turned down a move to Paris Saint-Germain as replacement for Carlo Ancelotti, Villas-Boas will be expecting Spurs to back him financially in order to be able to compete at the highest level, starting with securing last season's star player.

The Portuguese boss enjoys a strong relationship with Bale, who has credited the former Chelsea manager with helping to improve his game.   ------------------- goal.com