• Premier League

Madrid confirm Bale talks

ESPN staff
August 1, 2013
Gareth Bale has reportedly said he wants to join Real Madrid © Getty Images
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Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says that his club have opened talks with Tottenham over a potential world record transfer of Gareth Bale.

The most talked about transfer of this summer may well be edging towards a conclusion after Ancelotti told reporters in Los Angeles that negotiations over a deal which would see the 24-year-old move to the Bernabeu are underway.

"It is difficult to talk about Bale because at the moment he is not a Real Madrid player, but I believe the club is in talks to find a solution and we will see what happens," stated Ancelotti.

"I am not used to talking about players who are not in my team and it would not be right to do so."

Bale is widely reported to have re-confirmed his desire to join Real Madrid in meetings at Tottenham's Enfield training base on Tuesday, with the momentum gathering towards what may soon become his inevitable transfer to the Spanish capital.

Some reports in recent days have suggested that Tottenham are seeking to re-sign Croatian Luka Modric as part of the Bale deal, but Ancelotti was quick to banish those notions when pressed by reporters.

"It is not true that Modric is going," he stated. "He is a very important player for us and he will be here this season."

The latest reports from Spain suggest a straight cash offer and not a deal that includes the likes of Angel Di Maria and Fabio Coentrao is being proposed by Madrid, with the momentum behind their push for Bale apparently giving them a breakthrough at last.

Tottenham meanwhile are keen for Madrid youngster Alvaro Morata to be part of the deal, according to reports in the British press.

They could be tempted into an agreement if Morata is involved, according to the Guardian and the Daily Mail, with the striker having been tipped for a bright future.

Morata, 20, was the top goalscorer at the recent European Under-21 Championship and he has been backed to push for a regular first-team place at the Bernabeu this coming season.

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