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.
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.