Gareth Bale | Signed new contract

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AgainstAllOdds said:
Come off it noodle, Maicon is not slow. He's one of the best defenders around. He's bloody quick. The whole of the Inter defence is one of the best around. Bale made mince meat of them in two legs. You can see the great potential in the lad. He's only 21!
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Yup, this is the same team that nullified Messi & Co. last season!
 
Drifter said:
Spurs won't and don't need to sell.What's so hard to understand.
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Agreed. Spurs will do everything to keep him.

However, all a player has to do these days is want to leave. Just saying that one sentence in public is enough.

Having said that, United don't shop in that market anymore.
 
Blair said:
Yup, this is the same team that nullified Messi & Co. last season!
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I'm not saying Inter don't have a very good defense but Mourinho was a big part of that.
 
It's central midfield creativity we need more than out wide I feel, for this reason and the price tag to be expected on Bale more than likely we'll leave him, don't get me wrong he is currently a great player and can only really improve in the coming years but if we're to spend big I think other places in the squad need the investment.

We're forgetting we have people like Cleverly out on loan who can come in and deputize on the wing, along with Valencia sidelined etc.
 
GlastonSpur said:
All true.

Spurs don't need to sell Bale, financially speaking, but if a truly huge sum is offered then we'll probably take it because that money could be spent on signing 2 or 3 top class players that, overall, will likely give us a stronger team/squad.

Which clubs could afford Bale at the price Spurs would demand? City and Chelsea .... and possibly R.Madrid.

How much money would be needed to persuade Levy to sell? Your figure of 45m might be enough, but it's doubtful than less would be IMO.

Is 45m a ludicrous sum? Probably, but that's the whole point as far as Spurs are concerned: crazy money will make a sale, but nothing else will.
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Noodle touched on it, but the key point here is that when you have a sought after player you have to match their ambitions.

Imagine the situation (and its not that far-fetched) that Spurs go on a good run in the CL this year but fail to qualify for next years competition. An interesting situation for your best players.

Bale seems fairly grounded though, on the plus side for Spurs
 
He'll stay at Spurs.

They've stuck by him when he was a laughing stock and now he's developed into probably a world class player. Since 'arry took over he's improved immensely and won't leave until he does. Strikes me as the loyal type.
 
Spurs don't need to sell because they are in financial distress but part of their financial well being has come from selling players at a premium and avoiding high salaries. To keep Bale they'll need to significantly increase his wages and they have been very reluctant to break their salary structure in the past.
 
Blair said:
.....that if you get an offer that's too good to turn down then you have to consider it. At that point, it doesn't matter if they dont want to or need to sell. Money talks.
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Agree money talks.But unfortunately United are no longer talking big numbers.
 
Even we willing to pay a fortune, I doubt Spurs willing to sell.
 
What has surprised me about this thread is that it's barely been mentioned that whether Bale is available or not at whatever price, we do not need him.

I'm not getting into an argument of who is better or not, but we have a player in the same position that chips in with just as many assists and goals who also tore apart last year's CL finalists last time he played them. He is three years older than Bale though and for that reason (and the fact he probably will not stay in England for his whole career) I think United, along with all the other top clubs will keep tabs on him over the next few years to see how he and his club progress. He could keep up this form and really prove himself as a top player over several seasons rather than several months (same as with our current left winger really) and then move on if Spurs slump. Alternatively, he may end up like another exciting talented Spurs player we were interested in a5 years ago, Darren Anderton. Bale has already missed a lot of playing time with various injuries which may come back to haunt him throughout his career.

All in all, it seems at the moment both futile and a bit pointless to attempt to sign him anyway.

As for people sayig his other options are Barca or Real - how many young British players go on to have a good career at those clubs?
 
Cheltenham Red said:
If Shitty offer him £250k a week it does not take a Mensa member to work out where he will choose to play
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Look at Ronbinho, Santa Cruz etc, players offered insane salaries and quickly regretted it.

Not all footballers do it for money alone. Kaka turned the feckers down.
 
Donkey's Ears said:
Spurs don't need to sell because they are in financial distress but part of their financial well being has come from selling players at a premium and avoiding high salaries. To keep Bale they'll need to significantly increase his wages and they have been very reluctant to break their salary structure in the past.
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Bale signed a new 5 year contract in the summer, so I'd guess his wages were significantly bumped up then.

But yes, I'd imagine Spurs will offer him a big increase again next summer. The money we'll get from the CL this year, plus the greatly improved sponsorship deals we arranged in the summer, will all help with this.
 
Blair said:
Look at Ronbinho, Santa Cruz etc, players offered insane salaries and quickly regretted it.

Not all footballers do it for money alone. Kaka turned the feckers down.
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I agree not all players are driven by money but Bale is hardly Kaka,he is a young impresionable lad going through a rich vein of form,I would wager my wifes virginity on Bale jumping ship if he was offered the mind boggling sums that Shitty are able to.

No one knows wether Shitty want him but with all these financial fair play rules coming in they will be spending like a fat kid in a sweet shop in the next few windows so it's possible they may be casting an envious eye over at Spurs.
 
decorativeed said:
What has surprised me about this thread is that it's barely been mentioned that whether Bale is available or not at whatever price, we do not need him.

I'm not getting into an argument of who is better or not, but we have a player in the same position that chips in with just as many assists and goals who also tore apart last year's CL finalists last time he played them. He is three years older than Bale though and for that reason (and the fact he probably will not stay in England for his whole career) I think United, along with all the other top clubs will keep tabs on him over the next few years to see how he and his club progress. He could keep up this form and really prove himself as a top player over several seasons rather than several months (same as with our current left winger really) and then move on if Spurs slump. Alternatively, he may end up like another exciting talented Spurs player we were interested in a5 years ago, Darren Anderton. Bale has already missed a lot of playing time with various injuries which may come back to haunt him throughout his career.

All in all, it seems at the moment both futile and a bit pointless to attempt to sign him anyway.

As for people sayig his other options are Barca or Real - how many young British players go on to have a good career at those clubs?
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I'd like to see us sign a left footed winger to give us the option of balance on the left if need be as Giggs can't go on forever. With said winger, Nani and Valencia I'd think we'd have good depth on our wingers for the future with Park/Obertan/Bebe making up the 4th winger spot. Ideally we would have gotten someone like Silva who can give us a left footed option on the wing and play off the front man effectively so we could hypothetically accomodate all 3 in a 4-5-1 (or find an anti-ageing solution for Giggs).

I don't think our wing situation is urgent as long as Giggs is fit and playing well (and Valencia comes back from injury alright). I'd rather that we'd not rush into stockpiling wingers yet but if Bale was available at a good price, he'd give us decent cover for Evra and would give us good width on the left.
 
RedRover said:
The key is whether they can remain top 4 and in the CL.

If so then there's no reason he won't stay. If not, and with a planned stadium increase/move which will no doubt cost a few quid, and teh loss in revenue and sponsership from CL then a substantial bid for a player who will probably want to continue playing at the highest level may be considered, especially if his value has peaked.

Redknapp is being very clever, denying that he he'll be sold. Fact is he probably wouldn't be making that decision anyway but he's putting pressure on the board to keep the lad.
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They have no reason to sell as far as I see. They are financially in good shape and aspire to improve their performance in the football stage. Hence, they will make every effort to hold on to their best players. So as a rival club, if you wish to bid for their players, you might as well expect the exorbitant price they will quote. We know that well.

Regarding stadium expansion, spurs seems to have some development planned on the vicinity of their current stadium too. So a reason that a stadium expansion will peg them back wouldn't be a big concern.

As for Bale wishing to leave, I doubt that would be the case at least in the near future. He had a torrid time prior to the revival under Redknapp. So you could expect some faith from his side. In anycase, though he is a talent we have most of this season to see and judge his abilities.
 
AgainstAllOdds said:
Come off it noodle, Maicon is not slow. He's one of the best defenders around. He's bloody quick. The whole of the Inter defence is one of the best around. Bale made mince meat of them in two legs. You can see the great potential in the lad. He's only 21!
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He just runs round the outside of people. It's fine for Spurs. It's not enough to make you a top player worth forking out about £30m on, which is what we or anyone else would end up paying. He's good, he's not THAT good.

Italian teams don't understand how to defend against wide players. This has become painfully obvious from our games over recent years.
 
GlastonSpur said:
Bale signed a new 5 year contract in the summer, so I'd guess his wages were significantly bumped up then.

But yes, I'd imagine Spurs will offer him a big increase again next summer. The money we'll get from the CL this year, plus the greatly improved sponsorship deals we arranged in the summer, will all help with this.
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The economics of Spurs has depended and will continue for the short term to depend on tight control of the wage bill. It's always been that way under Levy. You pay good money for players but you're not necessarily high wage payers. One year in the CL won't change that. He won't be on anything like the wages he could get elsewhere and it's no point denying it. Part of Spur's financial success has been based on simply not paying super star wages. And fair play to them for that but don't delude yourself that this will change anytime soon.
 
Donkey's Ears said:
The economics of Spurs has depended and will continue for the short term to depend on tight control of the wage bill. It's always been that way under Levy. You pay good money for players but you're not necessarily high wage payers. One year in the CL won't change that. He won't be on anything like the wages he could get elsewhere and it's no point denying it. Part of Spur's financial success has been based on simply not paying super star wages. And fair play to them for that but don't delude yourself that this will change anytime soon.
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I haven't said that Spurs will be willing to compete on the wages front. Spurs pay decent wages, but wouldn't dream of paying the sort of wages received by, for example, Rooney or many players at City.

But for Bale to stay at Spurs for next season and beyond it's not necessary for us to offer equal wages to what he could get elsewhere. What is necessary is that we again finish in the top 4 and do well in the CL this time around.
 
Just out of interest, where do Spurs get all their bloody money from. They've been buying big players for years now, and to my mind anyway must be one of the highest overall spenders in the prem since it started. They dont have a massive fan base outside London to sell merchandise to, and they win feck all. So where is the never-ending pot of gold from??
 
irwinwastheking said:
Just out of interest, where do Spurs get all their bloody money from. They've been buying big players for years now, and to my mind anyway must be one of the highest overall spenders in the prem since it started. They dont have a massive fan base outside London to sell merchandise to, and they win feck all. So where is the never-ending pot of gold from??
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Lewis the owner is in the top 5 richest people in the country.
 
The Taurean said:
They have no reason to sell as far as I see. They are financially in good shape and aspire to improve their performance in the football stage. Hence, they will make every effort to hold on to their best players. So as a rival club, if you wish to bid for their players, you might as well expect the exorbitant price they will quote. We know that well.

Regarding stadium expansion, spurs seems to have some development planned on the vicinity of their current stadium too. So a reason that a stadium expansion will peg them back wouldn't be a big concern.

As for Bale wishing to leave, I doubt that would be the case at least in the near future. He had a torrid time prior to the revival under Redknapp. So you could expect some faith from his side. In anycase, though he is a talent we have most of this season to see and judge his abilities.
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I agree that Spurs will do all they can to keep hold of their best players. They seem keen to kick on and are no doubt enjoying being in the CL.

You do seem to misunderstand the point I'm making though. They have no reason to sell, but wanteing to and being willing to at the right price are two different things.

At the end of the season they may get a blockbusting offer from one of Europe's big guns. Harry, however much he may like the kid may think that the money on offer allows him to go and buy three really top class players and improve the team generally. The board may be happy to bring in such a large sum, on the basis that he may potentially have reached top value on the back of a very good debut CL season. The player himself may be happy to move to another team in the Champions League. It may, infact, suit all parties.

You talk about the financial health of the club. While they are seemingly in very good shape (particularly in comparison to other clubs in the PL) football is hardly a steady market.

It is telling to me that they spent very little in the summer, despite Harry banging on (as usual) about this player and that, and the fact that they're now competing on four fronts and have seemingly suffered from a lack of depth in the squad in their results post CL nights.

As for the stadium I got the impression from a few things I've heard on the radio and read in the papers that the planning permission to expand the stadium is very restrictive, requiring the club to spend money in the local area (in the same way that Arsenal were required to) hence the speculative application regarding the Olympic stadium. This is, supposedly, all going to be very expensive and they have no sugar daddy to pay for it, and the banks might not be keen to lend.

The point I guess I'm making is that every player has his price, regardless of what the club or the manager openly say to the fans. If that money improves the squad or the stadium to allow them to compete regularly at CL level then surely the Board will consider and sizeable bid on the basis that its benficial in the long term?
 
GlastonSpur said:
I haven't said that Spurs will be willing to compete on the wages front. Spurs pay decent wages, but wouldn't dream of paying the sort of wages received by, for example, Rooney or many players at City.

But for Bale to stay at Spurs for next season and beyond it's not necessary for us to offer equal wages to what he could get elsewhere. What is necessary is that we again finish in the top 4 and do well in the CL this time around.
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What if Spurs don't finish in the top four? Do you see Bale leaving then?

To be fair, he doesn't appear to be a mercenary type but a promise of big money and winning big trophies have changed many players' minds in the past. If Tottenham stagnate this season and there's a serious interest from one of the top clubs, I wouldn't bet on him staying.

I don't think it'll be Chelsea, though. We haven't spend big in years, and with the exception of Shevchenko who was around 30m and a three-four others that cost in excess of 20m we never spend huge amounts on a single player. Plus, with A.Cole,Zhirkov and Malouda our left side doesn't need immediate improvement.
 
noodlehair said:
He just runs round the outside of people. It's fine for Spurs. It's not enough to make you a top player worth forking out about £30m on, which is what we or anyone else would end up paying. He's good, he's not THAT good.

Italian teams don't understand how to defend against wide players. This has become painfully obvious from our games over recent years.
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You fail to mention that last night, once he got passed the player his end product was superb. The crosses for Crouch and Pavlyuchenko were right on the end of their boot.

Maicon was voted the best defender in the CL last year, and is considered by many to be the best right back in the world. Bale consistently ripped him apart last night, even when they doubled up on him.

He seems to big a big game player, after half a dozen games in the CL he's tortured the reigning European Champions two weeks running. I can't remember a performance like that from a United player in the CL since Rooney on his debut.
 
irwinwastheking said:
Just out of interest, where do Spurs get all their bloody money from. They've been buying big players for years now, and to my mind anyway must be one of the highest overall spenders in the prem since it started. They dont have a massive fan base outside London to sell merchandise to, and they win feck all. So where is the never-ending pot of gold from??
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Actually Spurs do have a big fan base outside of London - a fanbase that exists in many countries around the world.

Our money comes from:

* Very high ticket prices and rarely any empty seats, plus corporate boxes etc.

* Good sponsorship deals - e.g. 13m per year (plus potential bonuses on top) for the shirts alone.

* Merchandising to said fan-base.

* TV money (Spurs are often chosen for live coverage, because the games are usually entertaining and involve attackking football)

* Usually selling players for a profit, when we do sell.

We also keep a tight control on wage costs and have little debt (thus low interest payments).

In the most recently published accounts - year ending June 30, 2009 - Spurs made record pre-tax profits of £33.4 million.
 
antihenry said:
What if Spurs don't finish in the top four? Do you see Bale leaving then? ...
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It's possible, perhaps even likely. It might depend on how close we come to 4th and how well we do in the CL.

However, Bale doesn't strike me as being especially money-hungry, plus he's got time on his side and seems like quite a loyal bloke. So, you never know, he may choose to stick around for at least another year regardless.
 
GlastonSpur said:
Actually Spurs do have a big fan base outside of London - a fanbase that exists in many countries around the world.

Our money comes from:

* Very high ticket prices and rarely any empty seats, plus corporate boxes etc.

* Good sponsorship deals - e.g. 13m per year (plus potential bonuses on top) for the shirts alone.

* Merchandising to said fan-base.

* TV money (Spurs are often chosen for live coverage, because the games are usually entertaining and involve attackking football)
* Usually selling players for a profit, when we do sell.

We also keep a tight control on wage costs and have little debt (thus low interest payments).

In the most recently published accounts - year ending June 30, 2009 - Spurs made record pre-tax profits of £33.4 million.
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I thought the TV money was split equally between all clubs?
 
RedRover said:
You fail to mention that last night, once he got passed the player his end product was superb. The crosses for Crouch and Pavlyuchenko were right on the end of their boot.

Maicon was voted the best defender in the CL last year, and is considered by many to be the best right back in the world. Bale consistently ripped him apart last night, even when they doubled up on him.

He seems to big a big game player, after half a dozen games in the CL he's tortured the reigning European Champions two weeks running. I can't remember a performance like that from a United player in the CL since Rooney on his debut.
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yeah, but Italian teams don't understand how to defend against wide players. Watch literally any of our games against Roma, Inter or AC from the last five years. It's a painfully obvious weakness which we exploit every single time. Owen fecking Hargreaves drestroyed Roma Bale style at Old Trafford in 2008.

He's a good player, but going mental over two performances against a single team is way overboard. He hasn't shown he's got enough in his locker to live up to the hype of being a Wayne Rooney style signing, imo.

I think you need to look more at what he does in games like the one on Saturday, as that's the kind of challenge he'd face more often than not in a United shirt..i.e. teams with defenders who'll stay with him or double up, get back in numbers and where he wont have someone running in (or just loitering about) completely unmarked at the back post every time he beats his man.

He's been playing really well in general for a while now, but it's also not proven that hard for teams to keep him quiet when they've given him the required attention. He's hardly a prolific goalscorer either.

For the kind of fee we'd end up paying, you'd want a lot more in return than someone who'll get 6-8 goals a year, have the odd really good game hear and there, and for the rest of the time look decent.

If he was a couple of years younger, and in a situation where we could pick him up for say, half the price he'd probably be on market for now, I'd say good signing (in hindsight maybe we should have pushed the boat out to get in ahead of Spurs).

Now, I just don't think he's worth the likely asking price. We have other priorities in terms of strengthening the squad, so unless he's going to singlehandedly bring the team up a level (which a player as limited as him will never be able to do), I'd rather we kept our money in our pocket. We might have funds but we certainly have a limited amount.
 
You get about £1M more per league position plus heading for £1M per televised game.

EDIT: Looks a bit more complicated:

Domestic broadcast revenue is separated into three parts for Premier League clubs: half is shared equally, 25% is paid in relation to their final position in the table and the remainder is based on how often the club is shown on television with each guaranteed a minimum of ten live games a season.

All money received from overseas broadcast rights, sponsorship and licensing revenue is split equally (£10,122,612) between the 20 clubs.

That worked out at £53M for you last year.
 
In simple terms, it's not split equally, it's just negotiated as a whole rather than individually by each club.
 
Bale is playing really well right now and any team would be silly not take a player of his potential/quality if offered up.

However, I don't think United should break the bank for him.

When Valencia is back, Nani will go back to the left wing more or less. Then we have Obertan/Bebe coming along as well. Unless suggestion is for Valencia and Nani to share time on the right because you don't pay 35-45 mil for a player to alternate every couple of games. Bale would have to be a close to guaranteed starter for me to say it is okay to pay that large a sum for him.

If anything from Spurs, Modric would be a better target for United as he certainly would help in terms of losing either Scholes entirely to retirement or reduced play time.

Very good player but, I wouldn't want to get him at the expense of marginalizing either Nani or Valencia.
 
A dozen good games and I heard pundits comparing Bale with Messi

He's a decent premiership player with a lot of energy and pace. His only trick is to kick the ball and try outpace the defender. Good left foot on him mind...
 
Karel_Poborsky said:
I never said that. That was my judgement of your team.

I don't know what Bale thinks. But I will guarentee you aren't his number 1 destiniation. After all despite what you guys think, he's already rejected you to join Spurs.
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So did Berbatov. Then he shat all over City to sign for us
 
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