Tottenham forward, Gareth Bale has signed a staggering £85.3m Real Madrid deal that will have him play for the La Liga side for the next six years- which eclipsed the 80m paid Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.
Bale, who joined Tottenham in 2007 from Southampton for a reported £10m, has been omitted from coach Andre Villas-Boas’ squad this season after opting for the move.
The Welsh forward thanked Spurs and wished them well in their present campaign. The long-awaited world-record transfer will be made public at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, where a ‘Bale Stage’ has been erected for the unveiling of the 24-year-old, on Monday afternoon after completing his medical.
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… Gareth Bale.
“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,” added Bale.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy signed off the staggering move for the PFA Player of the Year following talks with directors in the boardroom at White Hart Lane
Levy, along with Jonathan Bernett- Bale’s agent- and Franco Baldini- Spurs’ football director- thrashed out terms with Florentino Perez- Madrid president- last month and will now sign the final formal document, having delivered on the payment modalities.
Bale joins the list of high-profile transfers to the Spanish capital since Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, and Ronaldo months after been named last season’s Professional Footballers’ Association’s and Football Writers’ Player of the Year.