Maybe all the Bale stuff is like what happened with Benteke - he did similar stuff but turns out it was his agent securing a new deal.
If we sold Bale and got the players already talked about and someone like Pastore I honestly believe we will be a stronger squad . Last season our first 11 could match anyone but a few injuries and we became a bit weak and relied on Bale rescuing us. With these signings we could virtually put out 2 teams that would challenge for Europe IMO.
Benteke was different , no one had bid and he put in a transfer request. Bale has been quiet and his agent (?) and Real are most definitely interested
That would be nice Moorpheus! Don't get me wrong I would love Bale to say he wants to stay another season. If we had the double of that and Soldado then we should be challenging for the league. I'm waiting for fans of other teams to take the piss out of this now but I believe that and if we didn't we would be under performing in my eyes.
I said elsewhere that on paper yes we probably should. However, I'd give the squad the benefit of gel time - add in the strength of those around us and I'd say (if we get Soldado + keep Bale (and maybe get a quality LB)): 3rd and above = great season 4th = bare minimum Any lower = absolute disaster
Agree with that although the way Walker played last season then maybe a new right back as well! I really hope Benny plays stays injury free and regains his old form. Although whether he gets the chance remains to be seen as AVB seems not to rate him. Likewise for Walker to regain the form of the season before last. I suppose to win the league is pushing it but if they did gel quickly why not! We can always dream!!
I still don't think we'd be able to use the money as effectively as everyone thinks. Take Pastore for instance - good player but would PSG want to sell him? To a Europa League team? Would he want to come to a Europa League team? We have to agree personal terms with these players too don't forget. If the buying club isn't as attractive then money always talks - we have Daniel Levy as our chairman, notorious for being careful with the cash (to put it mildly). Is he going to want to get screwed over on wages and fees? If he breaks the wage structure for one then it sets precedent. If we have THAT deal and we get £50m + the 2 players, some of that goes on wages straight away - suddenly you're left with about £40m which will get you 1 top quality player or maybe 2 decent players. Agreeing terms with these players + the over-inflated fees (which we always take freakin ages to agree on) would be our downfall. ------------------ Anyway - onto a more real issue - when are we going to shift some players out? All we've done of note so far is released Gallas and Bentley.
We were interested in Benteke and he wanted to come but Villa were asking for too much and so he was left with the choice of getting a payrise and staying or getting no payrise and staying. Bale could end up in a similar situation if he tries to leave and Levy holds firm like Lerner did.
I'm now getting to the point I want him to go. Even if he stays now the team WILL be unsettled all throughout the season with constant linking of him away and the focus being on Bale not the team. At least if he went we would have a stronger overall squad (this can't be argued against, sorry) and no 'elephant in the room'.
I believe we can still finish above Arsenal, even without Bale, and that is without us strengthening. If we did sell Bale, I reckon we'd get in at least two quality signings (probably off the back of the transfer to Real), and that would certainly clinch it for me.
Is there anything to indicate the sum total of the Bale situation is not as follows: Bale's agent: We want scads of money. Levy: We don't have scads of money. Bale's agent: Well sell Bale to someone who does have scads of money, like Real. Meeting ends. How likely was this to happen? Three chances out of four? Ten out of ten? Another question: Why can't Levy say, **** it, no new contract, we'll sell Bale in a year or two? Conventional wisdom says you're running down your transfer fee by doing that, but in the case of someone who's liable to spark a bidding war, how true would that still be? And even if it was, while you'd lose that, you'd have Bale for a year or two more, at a relatively low salary. It may be the fact that Levy has the better hand that has Bale's agent resorting to theatrics. He knows if only Bale can negotiate a new contract with someone like Real, he will get scads of money. If he doesn't do it this year, that big money is hostage to fortune, and people like Charlie Adam. Hence the desperation. Also, do we actually know if Real is willing to pay big money for Bale? After the first round of rumors, they claimed they'd never made a bid. It certainly looks like they don't have big money to spend, which is why some of the professional liars have come up with the formula of di Maria + Coentrao + money. Of course, even if my questions are valid, it doesn't preclude Bale going to Real. I would think prior commitments preclude him going this year, but we shall see.
So, what do we actually know about this now, unfortunately familiar, saga? Well, we know Real Madrid are interested to have Bale. Whether any official bid has been submitted seems to be in dispute. It is widely said ( speculated) that Bale wants to leave; but again, nothing has been said by either the player, or his representatives. Although it would seem that there is a hell of a lot of smoke, making me suspect that there must be a fire somewhere. How far Bale would go to push through a move, again we can only speculate. We know that Bales's parents have met with Levy at the Training ground. But, again, we can only speculate as to what was actually said. I think we can be sure that if he is allowed to go, it will only be after Levy has nailed Perez's financial balls to the floor. I just hope it is resolved quickly now. The season starts in a short time now. This is hardly the ideal preparation for the club.
