Football: No world record deal for Bale after Real agree $154m fee with Spurs

Football: No world record deal for Bale after Real agree $154m fee with Spurs

MADRID - Gareth Bale's prolonged transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid is set to be finalised after the two clubs agreed a 78-million-pound (S$154 million) fee for the player, Madrid sports daily AS reported on Friday.

Citing sources from Real Madrid, the paper said that the Spanish giants will pay 72 million pounds of the fee up front with a further 6 million pounds to be paid in variables depending on the Welshman's success with the club.

No one at Real Madrid was immediately available for comment when contacted by AFP.

It had been expected that the price for Bale would even exceed the world transfer record of 80 million pounds that Madrid paid Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2009.

However, having sealed the transfers of Dane Christian Eriksen, Argentinian Erik Lamela and Romanian Vlad Chiriches on Friday to take their spending for the window to more than 100 million pounds, it is believed the London club wanted the bulk of the deal to be paid up front even if it meant settling for a lower price overall.

Madrid are believed to want to officially announce the deal well in advance of Monday's transfer deadline so that the 23-year-old can be presented at the Santiago Bernabeu before he is due to report for international duty with Wales on Tuesday ahead of their World Cup qualifiers with Macedonia and Serbia.

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.