Transfer news: Gareth Bale arrives for Tottenham training, easing fears he will go AWOL amid Real Madrid transfer saga

The Wales international is expected to miss Tottenham's next friendly though

Simon Rice,Sam Wallace
Thursday 08 August 2013 10:22 BST
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Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale (GETTY IMAGES)

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Gareth Bale has eased concerns he could go AWOL in an attempt to force a move to Real Madrid after arriving for training with Tottenham this morning.

Despite reports in Spain that he would stay away, the Wales international was seen being driven into the Spurs complex in Enfield at 10.30 this morning.

Fears that Bale would not arrive were fuelled by quotes attributed to his agent Jonathan Barnett in the Spanish newspaper AS, in which he said: “Bale is very upset with [manager Andre] Villas-Boas for what he said in Monaco [that the player is going nowhere] and is considering not even going to training this week because right now he is very upset.”

Despite Bale arriving for training today, Tottenham are preparing to be without him for their final friendly of the summer against Espanyol at White Hart Lane, as the club awaits a decisive move from Real Madrid in the saga surrounding the Welshman’s future.

The 24-year-old, is expected to miss Saturday’s game, with his glute injury to be cited as the reason.

Madrid are now in Miami for their game against Chelsea tomorrow and the club hope that they can meet with Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman, to agree a deal for the forward there.

As it stands, there are no immediate plans for Bale to put in a transfer request and try to force the club into a decision. Both the player’s camp and Madrid are hopeful of a resolution that will not require them to go that far.

Although the Madrid policy has been to talk up Bale, either through their squad or the likes of former player, and now assistant, Zinedine Zidane, there was less than effusive praise for the club’s latest target from Cristiano Ronaldo yesterday. Ronaldo said: “I’m not the right person to say if you [Bale] deserve that money or if it is a good deal or not. I am happy here and the players I have beside me are great – I’m not going to speak about the other players, sorry.”

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