Barcelona reportedly met with representatives of Gareth Bale and Tottenham in November regarding the transfer of the player to Camp Nou.
At the time, Barca denied that they were interested in Bale, saying that they “didn’t know” whether he was in Guardiola’s plans, while also suggesting that Tottenham’s £35million valuation was “too much”.
Reports then circulated in late December that they were offering a cash-plus-player deal for Bale in the January transfer window – but it’s clear that high-level discussions had been going on behind closed doors well before then.
The Spanish giants have been on the hunt for a left-back, arguably the weakest area of their team at the moment and Bale, who can play both on the wing and in defence, has been identified as a suitable candidate to fill in the role.
Presently, Barca have in the position the ageing Eric Abidal, whose lack of pace is becoming more and more evident, and Adriano who hasn’t really convinced.
Coach Pep Guardiola has been looking for someone like Dani Alves, who complements the attack from the back with his marauding runs forward and the Welsh international mirrors the Brazilian’s contribution on the opposite flank.
However, the North London club will not be letting their most prized asset go on the cheap and have subsequently tagged a £150m buyout clause on the 22-year old that prompted manager Harry Redknapp to suggest that only Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City could afford him.
Spurs have shown they are a tough nut to crack, refusing Luka Modric’s move to Chelsea even after a transfer request had been reportedly put forward by the player.
However, the lure of playing with the likes of Lionel Messi and Xavi might be too much for Bale to ignore, and talks of an exit will surely grow stronger in the summer if Spurs fail again this season to qualify for the Champions League, the tournament in which Welshman had announced himself to the world last season.
