Real Madrid complete Bale transfer

• Real Madrid have completed the

signing of Gareth Bale from
Tottenham on a six-year deal.
Naijanewsstand  understands the two clubs
agreed a world record £86
million fee for the Welshman at
the beginning of last week, only
for the deal to be delayed until
Spurs had signed replacements.
After
losing out to Chelsea for Anzhi
Makhachkala attacker Willian ,
they completed a deal for Erik
Lamela from Roma on Friday
afternoon , as well as signing
Christian Eriksen from Ajax.
The Spanish club have now
announced that Bale will move
to the Santiago Bernabeu to
conclude one of the summer's
most protracted, and inevitable,
transfer sagas. He will be
unveiled at 12:00BST on Monday
before facing the press.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has said: "Gareth was a player
we had absolutely no intention of selling as we look to build
for the future. He is a player whose career we have
fostered and developed and he was only a year into his
new four year contract.
"Such has been the attention from Real Madrid and so
great is Gareth's desire to join them, that we have taken
the view that the player will not be sufficiently committed
to our campaign in the current season.
"We have, therefore, with great reluctance, agreed to this
sale and do so in the knowledge that we have an
exceptionally strong squad to which we have added no
fewer than seven top internationals. More importantly, we
have an immense team spirit and a dressing room that is
hungry for success.
"We wish Gareth all the best in the future and he shall
always be welcome at the Lane."
Madrid have pursued the 24-year-old all summer, with a
number of the club's players declaring their support of the
prospective transfer in the media.
Bale's agent, Jonathan Barnett hinted that his client would
be interested in a move as far back as May, before
reappearing on Spanish television in July to again suggest
that a move could be in the offing.
Speculation increased at the end of July when Spurs
manager Andre Villas-Boas failed to deny that Madrid had
lodged a massive offer for the double PFA Player of the
Year, signalling a change in tact from the Portuguese and
the north London club as a whole.
Bale returned to training following injury at the beginning
of August , having already made clear that he wished to
move to the Spanish capital. The two clubs continued to
hold talks over a fee, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy
holding out for close to £100m, a figure which would have
shattered the £80m paid by Madrid to Manchester United
for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.
With Madrid expecting the transfer to be completed, the
club erected the balcony which was to host Bale's unveiling
as early as last Friday . The Spanish club had earlier listed
replica 'Gareth Bale 11' shirts on their official website,
though they since claimed that they had no control over
the merchandising section.
Having agreed a deal at the beginning of the week, it
appeared Bale would finally complete his protracted move.
However, Spurs delayed the official announcement until
they had signed a replacement - Lamela - while reports
suggesting a second club had entered the running to sign
the winger.
These tactics angered Bale, however, and he failed to
report to training as he awaited confirmation of his big-
money move.