Readers believe Gareth Bale will perform in time
Gulf News readers comment on world-record transfer of Spurs star to Real Madrid
Dubai: Gulf News readers believe on the whole that Real Madrid’s new signing Gareth Bale, who is reportedly being paid £300,000 (Dh1.7 million) per week after his £85.3 million move from Tottenham Hotspur earlier this week, will provide value for money in time.
Salman Ahmad Khan, a Real Madrid fan, said: “Bale will live up to his price tag. Bale is not as experienced a footballer as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who he is competing with [to be the best in the world]. But I think he will perform in time.”
Savio Cardozo agreed. He said: “Gareth Bale was last season’s player of the year in England and therefore has shown he has the ability to perform. Players from England have often transferred to Spain, even Ronaldo did the same, and they have ended up proving their worth. So, even though the price tag for Bale is ridiculous, I don’t see a reason why he will not perform well.”
However, Khushdeep Sawhney, who says he is passionate about Real Madrid, feels that the only reason the stakes for this transfer were so high is because the club has enough money to pay the sum. He said: “Bale definitely isn’t worth this sum, but Madrid have the money.”
He was doubtful if Bale’s move would really benefit the club, though. Sawhney said: “German footballer Mesut Ozil’s transfer from Real Madrid to Arsenal, at the same time as Bale, but for half the price, cannot be justified. Ozil was an asset that Madrid lost.”
Harsh Sagar took a different perspective. He said: “Considering the economic situation in Spain, the transfer makes no sense. On one hand, the country is in debt and on the other, football clubs pay such high bids.
“In the recent past, Bale hasn’t been committed to his training sessions with Tottenham. Training with the team is a moral obligation of a good football player. However, before moving to Madrid, Bale did not show up for a number of training sessions. How does this justify his worth?”
“When Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid for £80 million (Dh458 million), it was an expensive exchange, too. However, Ronaldo proved his worth, hence, people did not criticise the price paid for the transfer. But, now when the same has happened with Bale, the reason why people are criticising is because Bale isn’t worth the money,” he added.
