Tottenham will consider fining Gareth Bale after he did not show up for training for two consecutive days, manager Andre Villas-Boas has said.
Bale has his heart set on a move to Real Madrid and he has been absent from Tottenham's training ground both yesterday and today. Villas-Boas said: "He is involved in a big transfer move to Real Madrid and in the end if it happens, we wish him all the best, but the fact that he hasn't turned up is not the correct behaviour...
“That is the position they chose to take and it’s up to the club to decide if it’s a fineable offence.” Villas-Boas confirmed that Bale is close to sealing a world-record move to Madrid. “It could happen very, very soon,” the Portuguese said.
PFA rules state a player can be fined two weeks’ wages so Bale could be hit with a bill of over £200,000 (€232,546) for his two no-shows. After two months of stonewalling answers about Bale, Villas-Boas now appears resigned to the fact that he has lost the man who scored 26 goals for him last season.
“At the moment the two clubs are speaking — Tottenham and Real Madrid — to outline the final decisions or statements of contracts,” Villas-Boas said with a look of resignation in his face.
“I am not sure how much time it will take. It could happen very, very soon. “But it might not happen so soon so I suppose it could go to the last days or it could happen in the next two days.” Villas-Boas has remained calm throughout the two-month transfer saga, but today it was clear that the Tottenham manager has become fed up with the whole affair.
On Sunday the Portuguese said he expected Bale to report to the club’s training ground in Enfield yesterday, but unlike the rest of his team-mates, the 24-year-old did not show, just like he has not done today.
There is a growing feeling that Bale is becoming annoyed at Tottenham’s conduct in the whole transfer saga and that he is trying to force through a deal to Madrid.
A Spurs source said there was ”no issue” with Bale not turning up yesterday, and the club insist that the player remains in touch with Villas-Boas about his training regime.
This contradicted earlier reports that Bale was ”furious and frustrated” with Tottenham’s handling of his proposed world-record transfer to Madrid.
Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) chief Gordon Taylor has called on Spurs to allow Bale to leave for the Bernabeu.
“Players have, invariably, just the one career, it’s, usually, a relatively short career, and here a player has such a tempting offer to play for one of the world’s greatest-ever clubs,” Taylor said.
“Surely nobody could deny him that right, to play for such a club, with all due respects to his present club.
“The game is all about money. Of course, it always was, but much less of it in the past. Now we are talking about incredible numbers, but for the player it is also an opportunity to play at the pinnacle of the game.”
Even though Bale is officially unavailable for Spurs because of a foot injury, he has been included in the Wales squad for their upcoming games against Macedonia and Serbia.
Tottenham, meanwhile, insist they will not sell Bale to Madrid until they have signed at least one more player to replace him. Talks in London are ongoing with Roma over the possible transfer of midfielder Erik Lamela, but Villas-Boas' hopes of being reunited with Zenit St Petersburg forward Hulk look set to be dashed after the club's manager Luciano Spalletti said the Brazilian was not for sale.
Real's hand has been weakened over the course of the last week thanks to their decision to erect a stage that was reportedly set to be used to unveil Bale. It is understood that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has also not taken kindly to the idea that Real started selling replica shirts with Bale's name on the back, and their offer to spread the world-record fee for Bale over six years.
Bale spent the weekend in Marbella after Villas-Boas gave him the weekend off, but he was back in London on Tuesday for a meeting with his agent Jonathan Barnett.
