Is Gareth Bale really worth the money? Should Tottenham sell up? (video)

It looks as though the Gareth Bale transfer rumour to Real Madrid is going to last until the window closes at the end of August. Media reports claim that an apparent £80m offer was refused by Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, who then stated that the Welshman was absolutely not for sale. This has now forced his value up to a supposed £100m, but even if Florentino Perez did decide to make a world record bid, would he really be worth it and should Spurs accept it to enable them to invest in several world class players of their own?

If you were in the position of receiving such a huge offer for Bale, what would you do? Would you hold out for an even larger offer or turn it down without a second thought. The reality is that the figures being talked about now are sufficient for Andre Villas-Boas to be able to purchase three world class replacements for fees of around £30m each. Whilst it is clearly much more complicated to actually agree to a deal for a quality player, due to the reluctance of a club to sell their best assets, Tottenham are a team that are growing year on year. Would the Portuguese coach prefer to have the chance to invest and strengthen several areas of his team? Or does he consider Bale so crucial to his setup that he would be willing to place all his faith in building a team around him for the future?

My opinion is that he would prefer for Bale to stay and try to maximise his potential by adding some quality to the defence, which has looked like the weakest area of the team in recent seasons. The potential signing of Roberto Soldado from Valencia would add a much needed natural goalscorer to the side so that they don't become over reliant on their Welsh wonder. 

Paulinho could turn out to be a fantastic purchase if his performances in the Confederations Cup are anything to go by. If he can successfully link up with compatriot Sandro in the heart of the midfield then Bale should receive plenty of opportunities to further enhance his growing reputation.

Decision time will soon be looming at White Hart Lane and the club will not want to let him leave just before the transfer window closes, if they do decide to sell. Also, it makes more sense to sell early on in the summer so that replacements can be sorted before the season begins and integrated into the squad. Real Madrid will also want to wrap up their transfer activity so that Carlo Ancelotti can begin to organise his tactical systems and decide on a starting eleven. Where exactly would Bale fit into the Real Madrid team?

Ronaldo is likely to be pushed into a striking role, with Isco and Ozil supporting just behind in Ancelotti's classic 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree line up. If Bale arrives then he will have to rethink his formation or rotate players that will expect to first choice. Either way it is going to be a problem that most managers would dream of, but it does seem unnecessary to spend so much on an area of the team where they really don't need reinforcements. The next week may provide us with the answers to the transfer rumour of the summer...

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