Image courtesy of the Tottenham Hotspur Facebook page
After all the uncertainty surrounding Gareth Bale‘s future this summer, the Welsh wizard looks set to stay at Tottenham amid major interest from Real Madrid. Now back in training, Bale opened his tally for the preseason with a trademark strike against Swindon Town in a well contested friendly match.
According to rumors emerging from British tabloids, Manchester United are set to launch a club record for Bale. But the fee, reported to be £60 million, surely isn’t enough as Real Madrid haven’t even deemed a bid worth the time, and the Spanish giants were rumored to be offering much more.
With Wayne Rooney on the possible Old Trafford departure list, they will need a marquee signing to retain their Premier League crown. But I doubt that man would be Bale, as Tottenham would probably want even more money if they were selling to a Premier League team.
So, what are Tottenham’s and Bale’s realistic expectations for the season? A trophy is always possible, as well as a fourth place spot. But can they challenge for the title? It’s probably a bit beyond them. Although they have some exceptional talent which even the Manchester clubs and Chelsea would acquire, it’s hard to see the Spurs being consistent enough to capture the crown.
With Paulinho in the mix at Tottenham, it looks like they’re going to set up with a traditional Andre Villas-Boas 4-3-3 midfield, with the Brazilian creating a powerful trio alongside Mousa Dembele and Sandro.
It’s exciting times for the Spurs.
