Pages

bet365

bet365

Monday, 2 September 2013

Gareth Bale transfer recap: Reaction as Real Madrid sign Welshman from Tottenham for world record £85m

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:
9:51 pm
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.
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.
9:23 pm
Is there something in the air tonight? Another deal is done.
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 sits in the stands before the game against Bolton Wanderers during their Barclays Premiership football match at White Hart Lane
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.
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:
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:
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:
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.
Frank And Debbie Bale With Daughter Vicky And Son Gareth
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
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.
 
Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/gareth-bale-transfer-live-real-2139958#ixzz2dicg3ACo

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)