Which Does Levy Value More, £50m Or Gareth Bale?

Ever since he tore apart Inter Milan with a stunning hattrick in the San Siro in October 2010, rumours have linked Gareth Bale with some of the biggest names in European football.

Reports in on Goal.com this week suggest that Bale will hand Spurs a transfer request this summer in order to pursue his career at one of Europe’s giants.

Real Madrid are favourites to match Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy’s £50m valuation of the 23-year-old, after Real boss José Mourinho put the Welshman at the top of his summer wish list.

Bale has made no secret of willing to move to Spain should Barcelona or Real Madrid come begging for him, but just how Bale would fit into the setup of the two Spanish giants remains to be seen.

Having transformed himself from a left back into a left winger during his five years at White Hart Lane, Bale might find himself squeezed back into defence should he make a move to the Bernabeu in the summer.

The nature of the Spanish game would not necessarily make this a step backwards to Bale as he would be able to continue his attacking sense of adventure on the left side of Madrid’s defence, but the long term prospects for the Welshman may be damaged if he finds himself unable to secure a first team place in Mourinho’s side.

With Barcelona and Manchester City also reported to be interested in the 23-year-old there are plenty of options for Bale on the table, with these two clubs more likely to offer Bale a role on the wing rather than in defence, they could be seen to be more attractive for his own footballing development. However with Levy reportedly demanding an extra £10m to sell to a Premier League rival, Bale will not help City reach their financial fair play targets and therefore is unlikely to be fiercely pursued.

Ultimately it will depend on how serious each club is to meeting Levy’s demands, but should those demands be met it is likely that Bale will see his future on the Iberian Peninsula.