London: Tottenham Hotspur Chairman Daniel Levy has held face-to-face negotiations in Florida with Florentino Perez over Gareth Bale’s proposed world record transfer from Tottenham to Real Madrid.
Perez, the Madrid president, said at the meeting that his club are prepared to pay €100 million (Dh488.66 million) for the Wales forward, which would eclipse the current record — Cristiano Ronaldo’s £80-million (Dh452.31 million) move from Manchester United to Real in 2009. But Levy, the Spurs chairman, wants £100 million.
Levy added that he would be prepared to do business if Perez included the highly-rated young Real striker Alvaro Morata in the deal, but Real do not want to lose a player whom they consider to be a future Spain No 9.
The prospect of any makeweight helping to finalise the transfer is complicated and, as such, unlikely. The challenge in the coming days will be for the two parties to bridge the £14-million gap in their respective valuations, to facilitate a straight-cash deal.
Perez and Real were in Florida for the club’s pre-season friendly against Chelsea, while Levy has a property in the US state. Talks will continue but Bale, who is desperate to be granted his dream move to the nine-times European champions, has been encouraged by Levy’s willingness to entertain Perez.
Bale’s focus has been affected by the situation and he has not played for Tottenham since their opening pre-season friendly against Swindon Town on July 16.
Meanwhile, the Toulouse president, Olivier Sadran, has claimed that Tottenham are on the brink of signing midfielder Etienne Capoue from the French club.
Andre Villas-Boas, the Tottenham manager, is prepared to listen to offers for Tom Huddlestone and Scott Parker, and Sadran suggested that the north London club were ready to beat Cardiff City and Atltico Madrid to the signature of Capoue. “He will go there,” Sadran told Radio Monte Carlo.
