Gareth Bale transfer recap: Reaction as Real Madrid sign Welshman from Tottenham for world record £85m
One of the transfer sagas of the summer is finally over as
the 24-year-old signs a six-year deal at the Bernabeu. All the best
analysis and reaction here
.
Getty
10:31 pm
As if Gareth Bale needed any more reason to smile this evening, brand
expert Nigel Currie, director of sports marketing agency brandRapport,
reckons his Real Madrid salary will be just a smidgen of his overall
earnings now he's a bona fide superstar.
He said: "I think this could be incredibly powerful.
"He
has already been identified as one of the really hot prospects in the
Premier League and now he is going to be in such demand.
"He is a really personable bloke. He looks good, comes across well.
"All those factors lend us to think he is going to be one of the next hot, hot properties on the marketing front.
"A
move to one of the biggest clubs in Europe, Champions League football
and all the profile that comes from playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo
and other stars, and the tag of being one of the highest transfer fee
players in the world, catapults him into a completely different league
in terms of his marketability and profile.
"By protecting his
image rights in the way that he has he and his management are obviously
thinking ahead in terms of ways he can maximise his off-pitch earnings
over the next three to five years.
"They have clearly got plans. They can launch brands or different products off the back of this."
10:29 pm
Our print colleagues have been beavering away this evening putting tomorrow's paper together.
Here's the back page, and there's no prizes for guessing who leads the headlines:
John Cross, our king of the back page exclusives, is joining us at
Mirror Towers tomorrow to bring you all the very latest on transfer
deadline day - if we can prise his phone away from his ear for a few
minutes, that is.
Crossie is busy ferreting about for the news on Arsenal tonight, and is expecting a fair bit to happen tomorrow.
So don't forget to join us for our wall-to-wall coverage of the whole shebang tomorrow morning from 6am.
Comes
to something when I'm too busy to tweet. Shaping up to be a remarkable
deadline day. If deals come off, Arsenal fans will be v happy.
— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) September 1, 2013
9:44 pm
So how does Real's new boy compare to their current superstar-in-chief, Cristiano Ronaldo?
Helpfully, we've got the important stats for you right here.
Cristiano Ronaldo:
Age: 28
Height: 1.86metres
Goals last season: 55 (in all competitions)
Career
trophies: Premier League (3): 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, FA Cup (1):
2003-04, Football League Cup (2): 2005-06, 2008-09, FA Community Shield
(1): 2007, UEFA Champions League (1): 2007-08, FIFA Club World Cup (1):
2008, Primera Division (1): 2011-12, Copa del Rey (1): 2010-11,
Supercopa de Espana (1): 2012
International caps: 105
Age at international debut: 18 years, five months and 15 days
Price tag: 94million euros (£80million)
Twitter followers: 20,910,760
Gareth Bale:
Age: 24
Height: 1.83metres
Goals last season: 26 (in all competitions)
Career trophies: None
International caps: 41
Age at international debut: 16 years and 315 days
Price tag: 100million euros (£85.3million).
Twitter followers: 1,289,078
9:29 pm
Meanwhile, the world's most monotonous pundit Michael Owen has had his say on the Gareth Bale move.
Owen
spent a single season at the Bernabeu after signing from Liverpool in
2004 and he believes the forward will be playing "on the biggest stage
of all".
"What a deal all round," he Tweeted. "Spurs rake in a
fortune, Madrid get a World Class player and Bale gets to ply his trade
on the biggest stage of all."
All's well that ends well then, Michael?
Let's
hope for Bale's sake his move pans out better than Owen's. Liverpool
won the European Cup the moment he left for Spain, while he only lasted a
year at the Bernabeu and never won another trophy.
9:26 pm
You know that little cheeky smile of Arsene Wenger's I mentioned earlier?
Now I'm not so sure if it's cheeky, or creepy.
Is there something in the air tonight? Another deal is done.
Man City confirm signing of Martin Demichelis #MCFC
— David McDonnell (@DiscoMirror) September 1, 2013
9:19 pm
Gareth Bale's agent Jonathan Barnett has been speaking to the media about the deal.
Asked
by Sky's Jim White if Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was a difficult man
to deal with, Barnett said: "No, he's an absolute pleasure," with a
telling twinkle in his eye.
But he then added: "One thing I will say about Daniel Levy, he kept his word, that is one thing I want to say." Daniel Levy: The master negotiator
Getty
9:15 pm
Mark Hughes also went to play in Spain with Barcelona and he has urged his fellow countryman to embrace the foreign lifestyle.
He said: "I would just tell him go and embrace everything about it.
"I
probably went with the wrong mentality in terms of thinking 'I'll go
out here, have a couple of years, and then I'll get back'.
"That
is totally the wrong way to go about it. You need to just embrace
everything - the language, the lifestyle - and if you do that, it makes
what you do on the football pitch flow a lot easier."
He added:
"When I went there I was a young player, but I was a young man as well
and I hadn't matured to the level I needed to to be able to cope with
going from Manchester United to Barcelona. It was probably too soon for
me.
"But if he feels confident enough that he's able to cope with the focus that will be on him, then I wish him well."
9:11 pm
Lord Sugar's been Tweeting again, and he's none too convinced by the statement Bale put out when he left the club.
Bale:"Tottenham
will always be in my heart...shut up. If its in your heart learn
loyalty from the likes of Garry Mabbut and Matt Le Tissier
— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) September 1, 2013
9:08 pm
Former Spurs star Gary Lineker left England for Spain when he joined Barcelona from Everton back in 1986.
The Match of the Day host says the key to whether Bale will be a success is his mental strength.
He
told Radio Five Live: "It's whether he's got the mental strength to be
able to cope with such a big move and the spotlight that will be immense
on him over there in Spain.
"Because it is different, it's huge and it's whether he can cope with that.
"Ability wise he is phenomenal."
He
added on Twitter: "Wish @GarethBale11 all the very best with
@realmadriden. A fabulous opportunity that any top player would seize,"
he said on his Twitter account.
"From someone who did something
similar eons ago, one piece of advice: Learn Spanish. Communication is
vital. His football will do the rest". Good job we've got that sorted for him, eh Gary?
9:03 pm
Arsene Wenger gave a little cheeky smile when asked whether he'd be
signing any players before the transfer deadline tomorrow night.
Here's
what he had to say: "I am not against spending money, but I want to add
super quality to our squad - or not," said Wenger.
"Tottenham got
a lot of money for Bale, they have to invest it - I understand that.
The need is different for us, we need one or two super players and we
will try to add that.
"We have 24 more hours, so maybe we can surprise you. Maybe not, but I am confident."
He
added: "It is a little bit like a domino game. Maybe something will
happen in the last 24 hours, maybe not. It is very difficult to
predict." Click here to read more on that.
8:56 pm
Tantalisingly for Arsenal fans, Lord Sugar also reckons the Bale move
could trigger a domino effect, and even see noted penny pinchers
Arsenal spend some cash:
RM will be off loading players tomorrow maybe some to Arsenal
— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) September 1, 2013
Even
as I type that, reports are emerging that the Gunners are in advanced
talks with Real midfielder Mesut Ozil. More on that as we get it.
8:54 pm
Former Tottenham chairman and sometime cheap electronics peddler Lord
Surrallan Sugar has been tweeting his thoughts on the Bale deal.
His
first missive covers an important point: there is some suggestion in
Spain that the fee is actually slightly less than the £80m Real Madrid
paid Manchester United for Ronaldo. Sugsy explains:
Think
we got £90m for Bale.RM may dress it up with financial smoke/mirrors to
appease Ronaldo who wants to be known as the top transfer fee
— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) September 1, 2013
8:45 pm
Spare a thought for the accountant at Southampton this evening.
With
Tottenham raking in a world record 85MILLION quid for this deal, Bale's
first club Saints should be rubbing their hands together in
anticipation of a nice fat sell-on fee cheque heading their way, right?
Wrong.
There
was indeed a nice sell on clause in the deal that took Bale to Spurs in
2007, but alas, when Saints were relegated and in financial trouble
soon after, the club forfeited their sell-on clause for some extra cash
up front. At the time Bale wasn't even in the first team at White Hart
Lane.
Someone pour that Saints accountant a stiff drink sharpish.
Still, not all bad news, as Press Association Sport's Simon Peach reports:
#SaintsFC may have given up their Gareth Bale sell-on clause to #Spurs, but I understand they still get a £2.14 million development fee.
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) September 1, 2013
8:38 pm
Bale's name can now be included along with legends like Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Alan Shearer and Zinedine Zidane.
That's
because he has moved for a world record fee, just like the roll call of
top stars above. But spending world record money doesn't guarantee the
player will be a success.
We asked our man Jack Lang to cast his
eye down the lists of record breakers, and see whether they ended up
being a hit or miss for their big spending clubs. Check it out here.
8:28 pm
One problem young Gareth might have when he moves to Madrid is a build up of dirty laundry.
When
the washing machine in his London flat broke down, he drove home to his
family's house in Wales with a big bag of washing for his mum.
Bet she was thrilled!
To find out a bit about the man behind the world record fee and his family,click here to read our special feature, complete with cute photos of Gareth as a nipper. Home crowd: Gareth Bale with dad, sister and mum
8:20 pm
Hola, me llamo Gareth. Soy Galés. No, Gales no forma parte de Inglaterra!
Some handy phrases there, that we thought Gareth might need when he arrives in Spain and meets up with his new chums in Madrid.
Find
out what they mean, along with some other key phrases we've helpfully
translated for him in our man Ed Malyon's Guide to Spanish for Record
Breakers, right here.
8:14 pm
So Real Madrid have finally got their man. Who would have thought the
young Welshman would end up at the Bernabeu when he was a 16-year-old
at Southampton.
To remind yourself how he started and see his full career in pictures, click here to see our fantastic gallery.
8:07 pm
Real Madrid announced the news on their website earlier this evening.
Their
statement read: "Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have reached an
agreement for the transfer of Gareth Bale, who will be contracted to the
club for the next six seasons.
"The player will be presented
tomorrow Monday, September 2, at 13:00 in the Royal Box of the Santiago
Bernabeu, after undergoing the relevant medical examinations.
"Subsequently,
Gareth Bale first take to the turf of the Santiago Bernabeu with a Real
Madrid shirt and will then address the media in the press room."
Presumably the club are frantically having plenty of these printed as we speak: Real Madrid World's Greatest
8:04 pm
Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy has also had his say.
The White Hart
Lane supremo said: "Gareth was a player we had absolutely no intention
of selling as we look to build for the future. He is a player whose
career we have fostered and developed and he was only a year into his
new four year contract.
"Such has been the attention from Real
Madrid and so great is Gareth's desire to join them, that we have taken
the view that the player will not be sufficiently committed to our
campaign in the current season.
"We have, therefore, with great
reluctance, agreed to this sale and do so in the knowledge that we have
an exceptionally strong squad to which we have added no fewer than seven
top internationals.
"More importantly, we have an immense team
spirit and a dressing room that is hungry for success. We wish Gareth
all the best in the future and he shall always be welcome at the Lane."
8:02 pm
Tottenham released a club statement to confirm the news: "The club
can announce that it has reached agreement with Real Madrid for the
transfer of Gareth Bale. Gareth joined from Southampton in May 2007 and
during his six years with the club made 203 appearances, scoring 55
goals.
8:01 pm
And we've got some quotes from the player himself.
Gareth Bale:
"I have had six very happy years at Tottenham but it's the right time
to say goodbye. We've had some special times together over the years and
I've loved every minute of it. I would like to thank everyone at the
club, the chairman, board, staff, coaches and players - and most of all
the fantastic fans who I hope will understand this amazing career
opportunity.
"I am not sure there is ever a good time to leave a
club where I felt settled and was playing the best football of my career
to date. I know many players talk of their desire to join the club of
their boyhood dreams, but I can honestly say, this is my dream come
true. I am well aware that I would not be at the level I am today were
it not for firstly Southampton and then Spurs standing by me during some
of the tougher times and affording me the environment and support they
have.
"Tottenham will always be in my heart and I'm sure that this
season will be a successful one for them. I am now looking forward to
the next exciting chapter in my life, playing football for Real Madrid."
7:53 pm
The deal is subject to Bale passing a medical with the nine-time European champions, with all other details resolved.
Real say the 24-year-old will be presented as their new player at the Bernabeu on Monday at noon UK time.
That
just gives them enough time to re-build the stage they had erected last
week to unveil Bale, which they had to take down for this morning's
match - reportedly much to the satisfaction of Spurs chairman Daniel
Levy.
7:51 pm
Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas, speaking after Tottenham's 1-0 defeat at Arsenal, confirmed Bale was leaving for the Bernabeu.
"He is going to join Real Madrid so we wish him all the best," said the Portuguese.
"The player is an absolutely wonderful player.
"He
has left us with some great memories from last season which every
Tottenham fan cherishes, but he has moved on and we will move on as
well."
7:42 pm
It's finally happened! He's gone!
Gareth Bale has completed his
world record £85million (€100million) move to Real Madrid - becoming
the most expensive footballer in history.
The 24-year-old Welshman has signed a six-year deal at the Bernabeu after Tottenham finally allowed the transfer to go through after weeks of negotiations, ending one of the great summer sagas.
We'll be bringing you all the details and reaction right here, so stay tuned.
West Ham rejected Arsenal returnee Mathieu Flamini following £70k-a-week pay demand
Wenger brings back midfielder who left for AC Milan five years ago after Allardyce puts his faith in Morrison, Diame and Noble
He's baaaaaaaack! Flamini returned for Arsenal in Sunday's win over Spurs
Clive Mason
West Ham turned down the chance to snap up Mathieu Flamini before Arsenal re-signed him last week. The Hammers are among a number of clubs to snub the Frenchman, who has been taken back to the Emirates as an unattached free agent by Arsene Wenger, five years after leaving the club for AC Milan.
It puts into context the decision to re-sign his fellow Frenchman, when the Gunners' fans would far prefer more stellar signings.
Flamini, 29, wanted £70,000-a-week, and West Ham decided they were better off with the midfield they already have.
To bring him in, they would have had to shift players out to make room on their wage bill.
Sam Allardyce, however, has rejuvenated Ravel Morrison at his disposal while Kevin Nolan scored 10 times from midfield last season and is off the mark for the current campaign.
Allardyce can also call on the likes of talented Mo Diame and Mark Noble, both three years younger than Flamini at 26.
Flamini became available this summer after his Milan contract expired and he was released.
He began training with Arsenal earlier this month.
Wenger
made his return to north London official last week, having rejected the
chance to sign higher-calibre midfielders including Bayer Leverkusen's Germany star Lars Bender and Everton talisman Marouane Fellaini.
The Serie A giants have confirmed that they have reached an agreement with the attacking midfielder over a two-year deal
AC Milan have announced on their official website that they have secured the services of Kaka from Real Madrid.
Following
long negotiations into the early hours of Monday morning in the Spanish
capital between Adriano Galliani and Kaka’s representatives, a deal was
struck that sees the Brazilian arrive on a free transfer on a contract
until 2015, with only performance-related incentives due to Madrid.
The
31-year-old will earn €4 million net per season at Milan and is set to
fly to Milan’s Linate Airport on Monday morning to undergo a medical.
Kaka
previously wore the Milan jersey from 2003 until 2009, winning one
Serie A title as well as the Champions League during his first spell at
the club.
The former Sao Paulo youngster then left the club for
Real Madrid, but never really managed to live up to the high
expectations at the Liga giants as he mainly warmed the bench at the
Santiago Bernabeu.
He announced last week that he wanted to leave Madrid this summer and has now gotten his desired transfer back to Milan. ---------------------- goal.com
Following their narrow 3-2 victory over Valencia
the Brazilian says he expects the Blaugrana to continue to improve and
adds that he is nearing full fitness
Neymar says Barcelona will only further improve over the course of the season following their 3-2 away win over Valencia on Sunday.
A
Lionel Messi hat-trick gifted the Catalans a three-goal lead before the
break, but Helder Postiga netted twice in the closing stages of the
first half to help Valencia back in the game.
Barcelona held on to record their third league win of the season, though, and Neymar believes they will only get better.
"I’m
sure that the whole team will improve both physically and tactically
throughout the season," the Brazil international was quoted as saying on
the club's official website.
"Our intensity dropped a bit at the end of the first half and we conceded two goals. We have to correct that in the next match.
"I’m feeling better physically little by little, but I need to improve throughout the season."
Neymar has made three appearances in La Liga so far, but has yet to score his first league goal for Barca. ------------------ goal.com
Arsenal ready to spend £80million in final day spending blitz? Transfer rumours, news and gossip from Monday's papers
PLUS: Everton will have to bid £14million for Wigan's James McCarthy and Spurs set to sign Blackpool winger Tom Ince
Fist full of cash: But will Wenger manage to spend any of it today?
It's transfer deadline day! Phones are ringing, chequebooks are being
opened up and fans are crossing their fingers for some last-minute
deals.
With that in mind, here's all the latest from the papers and beyond in our transfer gossip round-up.
Latest transfer gossip and news from today's Daily Mirror
Transfer news and gossip from other newspapers and websites
Sunderland are closing in on a loan move for Liverpool striker Fabio Borini. (Daily Mail) Crystal Palace have had a £1.75million bid rejected for Brighton midfielder Liam Bridcutt. (Daily Mail) Gareth Barry will complete his loan move to Everton today in a bid to keep his England World Cup dream alive. (Daily Star) Arsenal are also keen on signing Angel Di Maria in a £35million move from Real Madrid. (The Sun)
The Gunners are set to splash out £80million on Ozil, Di Maria and Abel Hernandez. (Daily Telegraph) Dave Whelan says Everton can sign James McCarthy - but that he will cost £14million. (The Sun) Aston Villa's Barry Bannan will have talks with Crystal Palace today - but will need to thrash out personal terms. (The Sun) Tottenham will attempt to sign Tom Ince in a £10million move - but the winger will head back to Blackpool on loan. (The Sun)
England boss Roy Hodgson left fuming after ex-club Liverpool refuse him entry to the directors' box
The 66-year-old Three Lions boss, there to assess his England players,
was so angry at his treatment he considered leaving Anfield at half-time
'Cordened' off: Hodgson was denied access, James Corden was allowed in
England boss Roy Hodgson was hit with an extraordinary public snub on his return to former club Liverpool.
Ex-Liverpool boss Hodgson was left fuming after he was denied an invitation to the chairman's suite at Anfield.
Hodgson,
who served as Liverpool boss for six months, was also refused access to
the directors' box during the game against Manchester United. The 66-year-old Three Lions boss, there to assess his England players, was so angry at his treatment he considered leaving Anfield at half-time.
Hodgson
made his feelings known to Liverpool staff and was ready to walk out of
the ground at the interval, after losing his temper at the humiliating way in which he was treated. Denied: A grim-faced Hodgson watches on from the stands
Matthew Ashton/AMA
But after discussions with Anfield officials, Hodgson decided to
return for the second-half, leaving five minutes before the end of Liverpool's slender 1-0 win over champions United.
A member of staff tried to placate Hodgson during the first-half,
claiming a "clerical error" was the reason he was denied admission to
the VIP area where guests and executives sit at Anfield.
But
Hodgson rolled his eyes at the reason given for his remarkable snub and
declined an invitation to move to the directors' box, preferring to sit
on a row reserved for Liverpool scouts, adjacent to the Press Box.
While
stars including comedy actor James Corden and executives from Manchester
United enjoyed the luxury afforded to VIPs, former Liverpool boss
Hodgson was treated like an outcast at the club he managed from June
2010 to January 2011. James Corden (L) and new BFF Tom Werner, chairman of Liverpool
Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Hodgson made the trip to Anfield to run the rule over his England
players ahead of the forthcoming World Cup qualifying matches against
Moldova and Ukraine. James Corden: In the VIP seats
As the European elite clubs attempt to squeeze
through last-minute transfers, find out exactly what goes on behind the
scenes of a modern-day deal from those truly in the know
By Sam Rowe
At 11pm on Monday evening, the annual carousel of transfer drama will
finally creak to a halt. It will formally end what has been a
record-breaking summer of saga, scandal, custom-built stages in Madrid
and a pair of particularly revealing shorts – and that’s just Gareth
Bale.
But, before football fans flick between yellow tickers and speculative tweeters, we at Goal wanted
to show you under the bonnet of a transfer deal, as told through the
tales of three experts who have not just been there and done it, but
also faxed through the necessary paperwork at 10:58pm while wearing the
club T-shirt. If it sounds stressful, that’s because it is – so feel
free to make today the one day of the year you feel a small shred of
sympathy for footballers. Well, at least until January, anyway…
STEP ONE: BEWARE THE AGENT
Clifford Bloxham, senior vice president, Octagon sports agency: "I’d
say the single biggest factor with football compared to nearly any other
sport is that there’s a lot of agents that are small, one- or two-man
businesses. So their motivation is that they have to do deals to pay for
the lightbulbs, so you can understand why some agents recommend deals,
because if they don’t they have no money coming in and no other source
of income. But it shouldn’t be a factor, [as an agent] you should only
do the deal that’s in the long-term best interests of your client. And
that takes a confident agent and most likely an agent that’s already
successful financially. To be able to say no is much more important than
saying yes, in terms of being a good agent."
STEP TWO: LAY THE FOUNDATIONS
Barry Silkman, agent: “First thing I do is see how good the player
is and whether there’s clubs that would want him. If there are clubs
that would want him, you pretty much know what the valuation is, and you
know what price they’ll put on his head if they’re selling. Then you’ve
got to have a look round and see what clubs are available and what
clubs would buy him.”
STEP THREE: FIRST CONTACT (AKA TAPPING UP)
Rohan Ricketts, former Arsenal and Tottenham attacker: “The player
will be contacted by the buying club. They would’ve spoken to the agent,
the agent would have spoken to the player, saying ‘This club wants you,
they’re willing to double your salary’. The agent will then say to the
buying club to contact whoever it is, and put in a bid. Once they know a
bid’s been put in, they’ll be notified and they’ll leak it in the
press.
“Once it’s in the press, it’s public knowledge to the player, though
he would already know in private. If the player really wants to go but
the club isn’t accepting the bid, he will go and speak to them, or the
agent will go and speak to them on his behalf. And that’s when the ball
starts rolling.”
STEP FOUR: (QUIETLY) AGREE PERSONAL TERMS
Bloxham: “The first thing I would always recommend
is discretion, so it doesn’t happen in public. As when it happens in
public, there has to be some posturing on both sides. The club has to
uphold their status and reputation, as does the manager. But, if no one
knows what’s going on, the whole posturing is not the same.
“Then, our job is to negotiate the player’s contract, but you’ve got
to minimise the impact that a contract negotiation has on their football
career. To be honest, they shouldn’t even know about it. Some of the
greatest sportsmen don’t even know how much money they’re getting. I bet
you Andy Murray didn’t think for one second how much money he was going
to get for winning Wimbledon – he didn’t even know what he did in the
last game, so the last thing he was thinking of was the £1.3m
[winnings].
“Whereas in football, what’s happening off the pitch becomes a bigger
story than what they’re actually doing on it. All that does is divert
away from what [the player] should be doing, which is playing great
football.”
STEP FIVE: COMPLETE A MEDICAL
Silkman: “I remember a few years ago I was taking Robert Huth from
Chelsea to Middlesbrough. The deal was done but it was providing Ashley
Cole was going from Arsenal to Chelsea. Ashley Cole wasn’t anywhere to
be seen, and you’ve got this deadline day scenario where the player’s
not even around to have a medical, because he was away with the England
party – it was a complete joke!
“So they had to get him from the England party and give him a medical
there, as what are you gonna do, get helicopters? It’s not like in Star
Trek where you can transport somewhere. That deal didn’t get done until
half past one in the morning – it actually missed the deadline by one
and a half hours. [The Premier League] accepted the Ashley Cole one, but
weren’t sure about the Robert Huth deal, though eventually they let it
go through. It was so ridiculous, it couldn’t happen in any other walk
of life.”
STEP SIX: AVOID LATE, LATE DRAMA
Ricketts: "I was playing in the first team at Spurs, I’d won back to
back Young Premier League Player of the Month [awards] and got a couple
man of the matches. I’d never come off, and I was on the verge of the
England squad – so everything was going well. But all of a sudden, Glenn
[Hoddle] gets sacked, David Pleat is caretaker manager and I, an
in-form player, am on the bench straight away.
“After a while of being on the bench and playing here and there, I
heard Reading wanted me. They were top of the Championship, and [Pleat]
said just before, ‘If you find a loan deal, I’ll let you go’. So I get
the call from my agent, Eric Walters, [who says] Reading wants me. I
call David Pleat and he says to me, ‘How did you get my number, you
shouldn’t be calling me’. I said, ‘You told me I should call you if I
got a club – Reading have come in for me, I want to go’. He says ‘No’,
and hangs up the phone. And the deal was off. That’s the actual stuff
that goes on behind the scenes.
“I stayed ’til the end of the season, playing a bit part role here
and there, before eventually going on loan to Coventry. Why didn’t he
like me? Maybe it was my personality, I’m really bubbly and I know he
didn’t like that. I speak to everyone, whereas he’s cut from a different
cloth, really old school. Maybe I should’ve just walked around and kept
my mouth shut.”
STEP SEVEN: SIGN THE CONTRACT
Silkman: “There’s no such thing as [a player] reading a contract, as
every contract in every single league is identical. The thing that
differs is if you have extras on it. Well, you don’t need to be a lawyer
to read how much a week you’re on, what appearance money you’re getting
or what your relocation money is. Or, if the club’s got an option, how
much they give you to take up the option – you don’t have to be a genius
to read that.
“The thing that keeps delaying things is that you haven’t actually
done the deal. It comes up at the last minute, and you’ve got to try to
see if he’s owed money – like a signing on fee by the club he’s leaving.
Then you’ve got to see the club he’s going to and do the finance, what
the salary is, and that can take ages. I’ve been on deals where it’s
taken days, weeks to sort that out. So when you’re on a deal at the last
minute, you’ve got to solve it within hours, and that’s when it becomes
very intense, especially if you’ve got a chief executive that’s
answerable to the owner. You can go round in a circle for hours, before
the deal is finally done.” --------------------- goal.com
'Madrid can win La Liga & La Decima with Ronaldo & Bale'
Former Madrid goalkeeper Paco Buyo believes los
Blancos can conquer the Primera Division and claim the Champions League
with the world's two most expensive players in their side
EXCLUSIVE By Ben Hayward
Real Madrid can win both La Liga and the Champions League with Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo together in the same side, claims the club's former goalkeeping great Paco Buyo.
That means Madrid now boast the world's two most expensive players and Buyo believes the sky is the limit for his former club.
"It's a new project, a new playing and working philosophy," the 55-year-old told Goal.
"It's a project that will grow little by little, but it seems that the
fans are very excited. New players have arrived, important players, and
it looks like Madrid are building a great team.
"Bale is a
fantastic footballer," he added. "He is fast, he can beat others and he
has been one of the best players in the Premier League. He will give a
lot to Madrid - it's a fantastic signing."
And while former
Madrid president Ramon Calderon claimed last month that Bale was being
brought in as a long-term replacement for Ronaldo, Buyo sees the two men
together in a successful side at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"I see
Ronaldo staying," he said. "The two parties are moving closer together
[in contract talks] and I believe Cristiano will stay because, among
other things, he is very happy at Madrid - both at the club and in the
city as well.
"With Bale and Ronaldo, Madrid will have a
fantastic team which can win La Liga and the Champions League as well.
They can aspire to winning it all and it will be a joy to watch for the
fans." ----------------------- goal.com
Gareth Bale signs £300,000 A WEEK six-year deal with Real Madrid
The mega deal could also see Bale become one of the world’s richest players as he will be flooded with offers for endorsements
Stardom: Gareth Bale and his girlfriend Emma Rhys-Jones
EMPICS
Things finally got very Real for Gareth Bale today after he became
the most expensive footballer in the world by signing a golden deal
worth £176million.
Spanish giants Real Madrid agreed to the
wallet-busting £86.3million transfer fee, which sees the 24-year-old ace
wave goodbye to Tottenham Hotspur.
And the Welsh wonder will
personally net £90million over the next six years – which works out at
an eye-watering £300,000 per week.
The historic deal, which had
been percolating all summer, could see Bale become one of the world’s
richest players as sponsorship deals flood in for the midfielder.
He
still has a way to go to catch Lionel Messi who, at 26, is the world’s
best-paid footballer pocketing £27.4million last year from wages,
bonuses, sponsorships and endorsements.
Bale’s new team-mate
Cristiano Ronaldo, 28, secured £24million in the same year, while
unsettled Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, 27, was the Premier
League’s top earner with £17million.
Former Southampton star Bale
is expected to be paraded at Real’s 85,000-seater stadium, the Bernabeu,
around noon tomorrow – before the transfer window slams shut at 11pm.
In
a statement on the Spurs website, Bale said: “I have had six very happy
years at Tottenham but it’s the right time to say goodbye.
"We’ve had some special times together over the years and I’ve loved every minute of it.
“I
would like to thank everyone at the club, the chairman, board, staff,
coaches, players – and most of all the fantastic fans who I hope will
understand this amazing opportunity.
“I am not sure there is ever a
good time to leave a club where I felt settled and was playing the best
football of my career to date.
"I know many players talk of
their desire to join the club of their boyhood dreams but I can honestly
say this is my dream come true.
“Tottenham will always be in my heart and I’m sure that this season will be a successful one for them.
“I am now looking forward to the next exciting chapter in my life, playing football for Real Madrid.”
Bale, who grew up in the Cardiff suburb of Whitchurch, had
been living in a £1.3million detached house in Chigwell, Essex, near
Spurs’ old training ground.
He has a baby girl, Alba Violet, with his long-term sweetheart Emma Rhys-Jones, who he met at school.
Spurs
confirmed the world-record transfer today with a tweet – not long after
they lost the North London derby against bitter rivals Arsenal, 1-0.
Chairman
Daniel Levy said of the club’s top goal scorer last season: “Gareth is a
player whose career we have fostered and developed, and he was only a
year into his new four-year contract.
“Such has been the attention
from Real Madrid and so great is Gareth’s desire to join them that we
have taken the view that the player will not be sufficiently committed
to our campaign in the current 2013/14 season.
“We have therefore,
with great reluctance, agreed to this sale and we do so in the
knowledge that we have an exceptionally strong squad.
“More
importantly, we have an immense team spirit and a dressing room that is
hungry for success. We wish Gareth all the best in the future and he
shall always be welcome here.”
Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas
added: “Gareth has left us with some great memories from last season
which every Tottenham fan cherishes.
“But he has moved on and we will move on as well.”
DONE DEAL!
Morgan Amalfitano has also signed for West Brom on loan from Marseille on a season-long loan.
Which
is good news for Steve Clarke, who said last week: "If we can get
business done before then it would be much better for my state of mind
and certainly my health.
"I am concerned that we have left it too late and maybe we don't get the right players in."
8:13 am
DONE DEAL!
Tiago Ilori has signed for Liverpool from Sporting Lisbon, the club have confirmed.
Ilori
told Liverpoolfc.com: "It feels great being a Liverpool player - coming
to the Premier League has always been a dream for me.
"I'm going
to try and achieve everything I can. I want to play as much as possible
and we'll see what the future holds. I will give my all and try my best
to help the team."
7:56 am
Here's a snippet from Ed Malyon, who reports that Roberto Martinez is
keen on taking Wilfried Zaha on loan - IF Manchester United want to
sign Marouane Fellaini.
The Everton boss has already tried to sign the winger in the past.
But it appears as though David Moyes is reluctant to send him out temporarily -and has an alternative instead. Wilfried Zaha
Victor Fraile
7:13 am
And here's something else to feast your eyes on as you head into
work. It's the transfer deadline day gossip round-up, featuring all the
best stories and gossip from today's newspapers and beyond.
No surprises that Arsenal are dominating the headlines (if you look away from Gareth Bale).
But have the Gunners left it a little too late?
Plenty of news, too, for Spurs, Crystal Palace and Everton in here.
6:47 am
Meanwhile, after all their spending this summer so far, Spurs could be about to offload a couple of players.
According
to our man in Madrid, Darren Lewis, Harry Redknapp has launched a
double loan swoop for stars Emmanuel Adebayor and Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
Or should that be Ade-bye-or?
More on this story by clicking here.
6:35 am
All the talk this morning (despite Gareth Bale's move) is who Arsenal are targeting on this final day.
Our man John Cross reports that Mesut Ozil is being eyed up by the Gunners for a permanent OR loan move.
Is that why Arsene Wenger had a twinkle in his eye after yesterday's North London Derby.
Read more on that story here.
6:15 am
No hanging around at Stoke City. They have made the
first signing on transfer deadline day, bringing in Austrian forward
Marko Arnautovic on a four-year contract from Werder Bremen.
Here's
what was said on the club's official Facebook page: "Stoke City are
delighted to sign Austria international winger Marko Arnautovic from
German side Werder Bremen.
"He joins on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee."
Marko Arnautovic (R) of Bremen celebrates
Alex Grimm
6:05 am
David Maddock
Over at Liverpool, boss Brendan Rodgers was able to do most of his
business before deadline day, with three new signings Thiago Ilori,
Mamadou Sakho and Victor Moses all watching the game against Manchester
United from the Anfield director's box.
Moses joins on a year long
loan deal for a fee of around £1.5m, while the combined fees for the
two centre halves, from Sporting Lisbon and Paris St Germain, will add
up to more than £20m, with all three deals set to be announced in the
morning when the Portugal stock exchange opens.
But while the Reds
are happy to have done another £22m worth of business before the window
closes, Rodgers will be less happy at the news that Real Madrid are
preparing one final attempt to prise Luis Suarez away from Anfield.
The
Spanish giants, fresh from their record-breaking capture of Gareth
Bale, will sell Mesut Ozil to Arsenal for a fee of around £40m, as talks
reached an advanced stage, and they are hoping that will be enough to
finance a move for Suarez.
Rodgers though, will attempt to remain
firm in insisting the striker is going nowhere, particularly given he
has no chance of finding at direct replacement at this late
stage...though he is bracing himself for a fresh plea from the South
American to be allowed to leave, given the identity of the interested
club.
It all offers a fascinating scenario as the deadline looms,
with Suarez desperate to go to Madrid, while Rodgers will argue he
should wait one more season before making the switch.
Getty
6:04 am
David Maddock
And here's a very early couple of updates from our man David Maddock:
Interesting
times at Everton. A £10m bid for Wigan's James McCarthy - which was
rejected by owner Dave Whelan - rather suggests the Blues are bracing
themselves for the departure of Marouane Fellaini...especially given
their loan deal which will see Gareth Barry arrive at Goodison for the
next 12 months.
There are conflicting reports coming out of
Everton. The first suggests Fellaini will submit a transfer request on
deadline day, after resisting the temptation all summer, to force the
issue with Manchester United prepared to make an improved bid.
The
second, and probably more accurate, scenario is that Everton have told
United they are prepared to do business, but only if they receive MORE
than the £23.5m buy-out clause that was in Fellaini's contract until the
start of the season, and will kick in again on January 1.
Blues
owner Bill Kenwright won't countenance the prospect of losing both
Fellaini and Leighton Baines, but he is savvy enough to realise he may
as well get more for the Belgian now, rather than lose him for a lesser
figure in the New Year.
United seem to have accepted they won't
get Baines, and so are likely to make an offer before the window shuts
offering a basic £20m fee, but with several add-ons which will take the
final figure beyond £25m.
That could do the trick, and Everton's
renewed pursuit of McCarthy suggests it is close. Wigan owner Whelan
confirmed the talks, when he said of the £10m bid from his former
manager Roberto Martinez:
"We rejected the bid because it's still
not near the value we'd expect. I hope James stays with us, but I've
said I won't stand in his way.
"We are waiting to see what happens at Everton, which is a difficult position to be in.
"If
we have to sell James then we will have to bring someone in and that's
not easy. I really hope he stays with us. Everyone seems to leave the
business until the last minute."
The most likely scenario is
Everton WILL sell Fellaini and then try to land McCarthy, for a fee of
around £12m, with the strong suggestion the Belgian agreed to play a
final game for the club at the weekend on the understanding negotiations
would be opened with United afterwards.
6:02 am
Good morning and welcome to one of football's most/least exciting days of the year.
As the sun rises over the country, the sun sets over this summer's transfer window with only 17 hours to go.
But will Arsenal finally spend some money?
Have Tottenham got another couple of signings up their sleeves?
Can David Moyes bring in a new recruit or two?
Keep up to date ALL day with every move right here.
The Nerazzurri coach believes his side are "on
the up" but need to work on certain aspects of their game to challenge
for Serie A
Inter boss Walter Mazzarri has called on his side to keep improving after their convincing 3-0 win over Catania on Sunday.
The Nerazzurri
have taken maximum points from their opening two games this season,
following up a 2-0 opening day triumph over Genoa with victory in
Sicily.
However, the former Napoli boss believes they need to improve if they are to challenge for the Serie A title this term.
"I'm satisfied but we must keep improving," he told Sky Italia.
"We're
still making mistakes in possession. We need to be more clinical at
times too. We have to keep growing if we want to stay in the mix at the
top.
"Jonathan and [Yuto] Nagatomo did well, they've come on a
lot. The whole team is on the up in general. They were still feeling the
psychological effects of last year – you should have seen how tense
they were before the Cittadella game.
"Now we're gaining in confidence, winning games always helps in that respect."
Inter's next Serie A game is at home to Juventus on September 15. ------------------- goal.com
The AC Milan vice-president is in Madrid to negotiate with the playmaker but has stressed that time is of the essence
AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani says that Real Madrid misfit Kaka needs to agree a switch to San Siro on Sunday for the transfer to come through.
The Brazilian moved to the Bernabeu from the Rossoneri in 2009 but struggled to make an impression during his four years in Spain.
He
confirmed that he wants to leave the club earlier this week, with
Galliani now in Madrid to thrash out a deal with the player.
"The arrival is difficult," he told reporters.
"I'm here. It's tough, we'll see. He has to say yes tonight because he'd need to be back in Milan tomorrow for a medical."
Kaka
represented Milan for six years, winning the 2007 Champions League with
the club and claiming the Ballon d'Or that year. ---------------------- goal.com
Arsenal boss Wenger hints at transfer "surprise" for frustrated fans on deadline day
Gunners have still only signed two free transfers this
summer but manager suggests now-confirmed Bale move will have domino
effect
The Cilla Black of football? Will Wenger spring a surprise on Gooners?
Rex
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hinted he could spring a "surprise" in the final 24 hours of the transfer window after watching his team beat big-spending Tottenham in the north London derby.
Spurs
may have been without Real Madrid-bound Gareth Bale, but their
£100million-plus summer spree saw plenty of talent in Andre Villas-Boas'
match-day squad, with £26m man Erik Lamela starting on the bench
following his transfer from Roma that was finalised on Friday.
However, it was the Gunners - having so far brought in only two free transfers
- who earned the bragging rights after Giroud tucked home his fourth
goal in five appearances after 23 minutes which proved enough to settle
an entertaining, but also heated, contest.
Wenger had seen bids for Gonzalo Higuain, Luis Suarez and Yohan Cabaye all fail to come off earlier this summer.
But with Bale's mega-money move to Real having finally being confirmed at 7pm on Sunday evening, Arsenal could now up their interest in the Spanish giants' Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil and Angel di Maria before the window closes at 11pm on September 2.
"I am not against spending money, but I want to add super quality to our squad - or not," said Wenger.
"Tottenham
got a lot of money for Bale, they have to invest it - I understand
that. The need is different for us, we need one or two super players and
we will try to add that.
"We have 24 more hours, so maybe we can surprise you. Maybe not, but I am confident."
Wenger
feels now Bale's 100 million euros (£86.3million) switch has been
completed, other projected transfers could now into place.
He
added: "It is a little bit like a domino game. Maybe something will
happen in the last 24 hours, maybe not. It is very difficult to
predict."
Arsenal may be sitting on a £70m warchest, but Wenger
insists the club will not be held to ransom as the last-gasp shopping
dash begins.
"I am not against spending. I am ready to pay what we
can afford, even if it is a bit over the market (value) and as long as
it is not crazy," he said.
Arsenal have responded well since they
lost the opening Barclays Premier League game at home to Aston Villa,
winning at Fulham and also securing a place in the group stages of the
Champions League by beating Fenerbahce both home and away.
"Overall it was a convincing win in a very intense game," Wenger said.
"There were aspects in our game that people are not used to seeing from us, that means commitment, desire, defending.
"I
am one of the few who never doubted that (team spirit). This team has
lost one game since March in all competitions. You don't do that with an
average spirit."
Arsenal ready to complete Mesut Ozil transfer either as a permanent deal or on loan
German's Real Madrid team-mate Di Maria and Schalke's Draxler remain on Wenger's radar for deadline day - as does Demba Ba
Now or never: Arsenal face competition from Manchester United and PSG for Ozil
Angel Martinez
Arsene Wenger has set his sights on a sensational last-minute move
for Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil - even after hailing his Arsenal's derby
victory.
After the win over Tottenham, Wenger confirmed he is still in the market for a big signing before the window shuts. Ozil, his fellow Real midfielder Angel Di Maria and young Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler are all in the Gunners' sights as they look to launch a deadline day spending spree.
Arsenal
are understood to be ready to sign Ozil either permanently or, because
the German international has reservations about leaving Real, on a
season-long loan.
Mirror Sport understands Arsenal
are due to hold further discussions on Monday and a medical has been
booked, should it be needed.
Wenger has also considered making one last move for Luis Suarez, although Liverpool have made it clear they do not want to sell.
Arsenal
have also prepared a double swoop on Palermo for forward Abel Hernandez
and keeper Emiliano Viviano, and an enquiry for Chelsea striker Demba
Ba has also been made.
MirrorSport understands Viviano is in London and will undergo a medical on Monday morning.
But the Londoners could face competition from Manchester United for Ozil.
Paris Saint-Germain are also in the frame but the Germany midfielder would prefer a move to England.
Arsenal believe Di Maria may be the most likely transfer to happen, as Schalke are demanding more than £40m for Draxler.
Wenger,
whose only signings have been free transfers this summer, said: "You
know I am always confident, and I delivered very little until now.
"I
am confident, yes. I am ready to pay what we can afford. Even if it is a
bit over the market as long as it is not crazy. I am not against
spending.
"We need one or two super players. We will try to add that. There are 24 hours left maybe we can surprise you, maybe not."
Arsenal
are keen to bring in a left-sided player after a spate of injuries
while their desperation to sign a striker has been eased after Olivier
Giroud's impressive form - his winner against Tottenham made it four goals in five games for the Frenchman.
Wenger
said: "It was a very important game for us. We showed aspects from our
game that people are not used to seeing from us, that means commitment,
desire, defending.
"Overall, their keeper was their best player. So that shows that we had the chances to win really comfortably.
"I
am one of the few who never doubted that. this team has lost one game
since March in all competitions. You don't do that with an average
spirit."
Wenger praised Giroud, and wondered if his countryman had
been inspired by a summer of reading about the club trying to sign a
big-name striker.
"You spent a lot of time in finding another striker!" laughed Wenger. "Maybe that woke something up in him.
"I
liked what we did today, technically it was good, he had a huge
physical presence, he looks to me that he had a exceptional quality
display of a real centre-forward."
Wenger's plans were disrupted by a stomach bug which hit his players.
Bacary Sagna was only fit enough to be on the bench while Jack Wilshere had to come off before half-time.
"It
happened to us what happened to Tottenham!" joked Wenger, referring to
the infamous 'Lasagne-gate' bug which helped cost Spurs a Champions
League place seven years ago.
We need to work on our concentration, says Allegri
By Harry Slavin
The Rossoneri coach says his side have some psychological issues to address if they are to improve defensively
AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri warned his side against complacency in future matches after Sunday's 3-1 Serie A success over Cagliari at the San Siro.
The Rossoneri
fell to a shock defeat against newly-promoted Hellas Verona on the
opening weekend of Serie A and although they picked up their first three
points of the season, their coach remains concerned by a lack of
concentration in the side.
“I think we did well until we conceded the goal,” Allegri told reporters.
“What
made me angry was we lost our focus for Cagliari’s goal. We shouldn’t
stop playing like that and give the other team the chance to get back in
the game.”
Allegri admitted he had reservations about his team’s
fitness coming into the match on the back of their midweek Champions
League Qualifier with PSV Eindhoven, but stated that number of his
players had stepped up and delivered back on the Serie A stage.
“It
was a very dangerous game we played here this evening as after the
Champions League match, you can get bad reactions but that’s not what
happened," he stated.
“Nigel De Jong worked hard and that’s good.
Riccardo Montolivo played well in his new role and Nocerino did well
when he came on.”
“Urby Emanuelson played well and we just have to work on not losing focus during matches.”
Milan are back in action after the international break when they travel to Turin to face Torino. --------------------- goal.com
The Blaugrana coach was in bouyant mood after his
side's hard fought victory at Mestalla and he sees no problem with his
two South American stars working in tandem
The
Brazilian set up his Argentine team-mate for his hat-trick at Mestalla
and Martino told reporters he cannot see why the South American duo
won't continue to flourish in tandem.
“Yesterday there were
doubts about the Messi and Neymar connection after their first game
together," he mused. "Things have been solved within 24 hours.”
The
former Paraguay coach declared the performance “the best version” of
his side he had seen since taking the reins at the Nou Camp over the
summer, as Messi fired the Blaugrana into a 3-0 lead in the
first half, only for Valencia’s Helder Postiga to pull two goals back
before the break and set up a tense second period.
“It is true
that in the second half we could have increased the difference," he
conceded . "But at the same time Valencia hit the woodwork and that’s
what concerns me most,”
The 50-year-old played down the
difficulties faced by the La Liga champions when balls were delivered
into their area at the Mestalla, but admitted that even if the hosts had
forced an equaliser he would still have been happy.
“I don’t think we’ve had a lack of control because we knew they would use their height," he argued.
“I
believe that had the outcome have been different, I would still have
been satisfied, because today we have found more football, more dynamics
and more movement.”
Barcelona currently sit top of La Liga on
goal difference and are one of four teams still with a 100 per cent
record going into the international break. ---------------------- goal.com
