Back Bale to leave Spurs without a major trophy to his name
Published:After scooping a Player of the Year double at the annual PFA awards, further questions have been raised as to whether Welsh winger Gareth Bale will be at Tottenham in time for the start of next season.
The player and young player of the year is priced at 5/6 either way to be still under Spurs’ employ come the first day of the next campaign, but much will hinge upon whether the north Londoners qualify for the Champions League or not.
As it stands, the Lilywhites sit fifth in the Premier League, two points behind bitter foes Arsenal, though they do have a game in-hand advantage in the tussle for a top-four finish.
Bale, who claimed the league’s most prestigious gong for the second time in his career, has been linked with Europe’s elite constantly this season, attracting attention from the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona for his swashbuckling wing play and exquisite technical ability.
If either of these clubs, or a big-spending force a little closer to home, were to lodge a bid for the 23-year-old, it’s difficult to see how Spurs could keep hold of their prize asset even if they do land a seat at Europe’s top table.
If a club with greater trophy-winning prospects weighs in with an offer, much like Robin van Persie and Luka Modric last summer, he isn’t going to refuse them.
Ladbrokes have Bale priced up at 8/11 to win a major trophy with his current club, but what trophy is that going to be?
The Premier League is obviously beyond their capabilities, while the FA Cup is something that the top clubs all want a piece of given the stiff competition for silverware. Victory in a European competition would appear out of reach too, leaving just the Capital One Cup and it’s highly unlikely Bale is going to tell Real Madrid he wants to stay at White Hart Lane in order to get his hands on a pot revered higher than only the Football League Trophy.
With this in mind, punting on the 1/1 that says the Welshman won’t hoist a major accolade sporting the all-white of Spurs has to be the logical way forward in this market.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
