Over the weekend, some English websites covered a rumour started by The Express saying Chelsea would be looking to surpass Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the race for Gareth Bale.
It was claimed that while these clubs would wait until next summer, the Blues could make an attempt to land the player in January.
The story was covered in many countries, including in Spain, where they have a bit more insight on the 28-year-old’s situation.
AS’s Manolete has a column where he often comments the rumours which come from other countries, and this was one of them.
The player’s staff is said to be listening to ‘all the offers’ he has, and a return to the Premier League is ‘not ruled out’. So it’s not like Bale is looking for a move to England, and more like this is one of the many possibilities on the table.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is reportedly tired of the player’s injuries, and that’s the main reason to sell him. And that’s good news for patient negotiators: although the reports from England said the club would demand £90m, Manolete claims he could leave for more or less, as the idea is get something between €80m and €100m.
That sounds like English sides would need some time to get the price down, something very unlikely to happen in the winter market, for obvious reasons.
So although the reports from England are pretty optimistic that Chelsea have the power to land Bale soon, the point of view from Spain shows the Blues are only another horse in the race. Especially regarding a winter move.
