Gareth Bale is on the verge of signing a bumper contract extension with Tottenham Hotspur.
The Welsh international flyer is one of the hottest commodities in football, after his stunning Premier League season for Spurs.
He won the FA’s Player and Young Player of the season award, as well as the English Football Writers version of the same prize.
Bale has been linked to a who’s who of Europe’s top clubs, but Spurs have always expressed their desire to hold onto him.
With Spurs having narrowly missed out on Champions League football next season, it was feared at White Hart Lane that Bale would be off to a more high profile team in the near future.
He has repeatedly stated his desire to test himself at the highest level.
But with both Manchester teams in flux, there is a sense that next season’s Premier League campaign could be more open than ever, and that a steadily improving Spurs- with Andre Villas-Boas at the helm and Bale powering them forward- can make a serious dent on the top-four places.
Consequently, it appears Bale has been convinced to commit at least one more season to Spurs.
He will be paid an estimated £150,000 per week to ward off the affections of teams like Manchester United and Real Madrid, but his new contract will have a reported £50 million buyout clause, which can be triggered at the end of next season.
Retaining Bale is a major statement of intent by Spurs, who are slowly beginning to shed their status as a selling club, in a bid to further shed their status as one of London football’s also-rans.
Without 23-year-old Bale, Spurs would be a far less ominous prospect, and so on the eve of their post-season tour to the Bahamas, AVB was pleased to suggest his biggest star would not be “lured away.”
"Will the big clubs be able to lure Bale away? It is very, very difficult to lure a player of [these dimensions] away," he said.
"You have to hold on to your best assets. Gareth is travelling with the team. This is an opportunity for him to touch that fan base that he has around the world, so we are looking forward to him coming and competing.”
