Post by Bluemoon on May 4, 2012 20:43:35 GMT 1
Get Bale! Man City Ready to Rival Barcelona With £40m Bid for Spurs Star
Premier League title favourites Manchester City have made Tottenham winger Gareth Bale their No 1 summer target and are preparing a £40million bid for the Wales international.
Spurs' Champions League qualification is in doubt and Bale admitted in a recent interview that he may be tempted to move on should they not compete in Europe's elite club competition next season.
'If we don’t [qualify for the Champions League], I have to discuss what’s best for myself,' he is quoted as saying in the Daily Mirror.
Spurs currently sit in the fourth qualification place but would miss out should Chelsea win this year's final against Bayern Munich, or if they are caught by Newcastle, who are behind them only on goal difference.
And even if Spurs were to qualify for the Champions League, the 22-year-old may be tempted to move anyway in order to challenge for top honours.
City are thought to be considering a player-plus-cash deal involving striker Emmanuel Adebayor - who is currently on loan at Spurs - and are prepared to treble Bale's wages in offering him almost £30m over five years.
Barcelona are known to be interested in Bale's services and are also plotting a raid, but they will be unable to match City's financial clout should a bidding war be sparked.
Manager Roberto Mancini is keen to boost his attacking options for next season with the futures of Mario Balotelli, Edin Dzeko, Carlos Tevez and Adam Johnson all in doubt, and Bale is seen as the ideal compliment to the talent already at the Etihad Stadium.
