Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing Gareth Bale in a £45million deal - but are willing to wait a year to sign the Tottenham winger.

Bale has been linked with a number of clubs throughout the year, with Manchester United believed to be keen on the Wales international, while the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Liverpool have all shown interest in the 21-year-old.

Reports last month suggested the midfielder was prepared to submit a transfer request at Spurs if the club went back on their word and allowed Luka Modric - who is a target for Chelsea - to leave White Hart Lane.

But while it remains to be seen whether Bale will end up being put in a position where he is forced to ask for a move this summer, according to Goal.com, the Welshman will be the subject of a £45m bid from Spanish champions Barcelona at the end of nextseason.

According to their report, Barca have already enquired about Bale's interest in a move away from the Premier League and they believe they would be able to beat the likes of Inter and their rivals Real Madrid should either club look to lure him away from England.

Interest in Bale from overseas clubs has increased as a result of his dazzling performances in the Champions League last season - particularly in the games against Inter - and there has been a feeling at the club for some time that a lack of Champions League football next season could lead to the player seeking a move.

And should the PFA Player of the Year impress again over the next twelve months, Spurs know they face a fight to keep one of their top players at the club this time next year.

A source told the website: "Chelsea and Manchester City are not suitors at the moment, Manchester United flirted with him but have not gone for him and he is out of Arsenal and Liverpool’s price range.

"Most of the interest in Gareth is from the continent but he is not ready to go abroad yet and is happy to stay at Tottenham for another season."

Barcelona have reportedly let it be known that they will be monitoring Bale’s performances for Tottenham next season and are willing to smash the transfer record for a British player, which is currently the £35million paid by Liverpool for Andy Carroll back in January.

The link with Bale will lead to further questions about the future of Maxwell at Camp Nou, with the left-back having been linked with a move to Arsenal.

Tottenham captain Ledley King believes Gareth Bale's goalscoring ability is what has made him stand out as one of Europe's best midfielders at present.

Bale arrived at White Hart Lane with a glowing reputation as one of Britain's top young talents but struggled for form early in, infamously going his first 24 Barclays Premier League matches without a win.

However, he has since recovered from that initial setback and has gone on to establish himself as one of Europe's premier wingers, memorably almost single-handedly saving a point for Tottenham in a 4-3 loss to Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League group stage where he scored a hat-trick.

While many feel his sheer pace and ability to cross is what makes him a threat, King feels Bale stands out because he regularly weighs in with his fair share of goals.

"He just carried on where he left off the season before," King said on Tottenham's official website. "But what he's added is a goal threat, he's so dangerous in those attacking areas now."

Despite Bale starting his career as a defender, King said it was apparent from the start that the Welsh international possessed a deadly left foot.

"Earlier in his career he moved between left-back and left-midfield, but you always knew with his left foot that he could create chances and score goals.

"Now he's looking like he can score goals every week, as well as make goals."

King also believes winning the PFA Player of the Year award was testament to the impact Bale had made this past season, and reiterates that the 21-year-old is an important part of Tottenham's future.

"He's a big player for this team now and for the future.

"I'm delighted for him. He's such a good lad as well.

"To win the PFA award as well, that's such a special achievement, especially at his age. It shows you how well he's done."

The tail-end to Bale's 2010/11 campaign was hit by injury but the blindingly-quick winger still managed to score eleven goals in 42 appearances in all competition for Spurs.

Maybe the most ground-breaking report of the day came from a Mirror Football update, as Tottenham could lose two of its most important players on the roster.

Gareth Bale said that if Luka Modric is signed elsewhere, he will ask for his own move away from North London.

The catch here is that Spurs has also told Harry Redknapp that if he wishes to bring in new signings to White Hart Lane, he must first offload four or five players to generate funds.

Tottenham Hotspur winger, Gareth Bale, has now set his sights on the upcoming Barclays Premier League 2011/12 season and wants to kick-off the campaign strongly.


Harry Redknapp’s men will begin their season with a tough home fixture against Everton, who finished seventh last season. Tottenham will play their second match of the season against the Barclays Premier League Champions, Manchester United at Old Trafford – a venue where United almost kept a 100 percent record in the season ended. The Spurs’ third match of the next campaign is at the City of Manchester Stadium against Manchester City, who finished third in the recently concluded season of the Barclays Premier League.

Bale, who won the PFA Player of the Year award last season, feels that Tottenham will face a tough start to the next season but the Spurs should give their best to start the campaign on a positive note.

The 21-year-old Welsh winger sees every Premier League match as a tough fixture and said, “They are all hard matches but that’s the case when you play any team in the Premier League.”

“Everton is always a tough game and the two Manchester teams are amongst the best in the league, but getting them early might just be good for us.” Bale told Tottenham’s official website.

Tottenham Hotspur shocked everyone with their impressive performances in their debut UEFA Champions League campaign last year. The north London club defeated the likes of Inter Milan and AC Milan to reach the quarter-finals of the competitions before Real Madrid ended their European dream.

However, the Spurs had a tough Premier League season relatively and failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League after finishing fifth on the table, six points adrift of the fourth-placed Arsenal.

Bale has stated that the Spurs need a positive start to the next season in order to earn win back the UEFA Champions League qualification.

“Hopefully we can get into our rhythm early and get positive results. If we start well it will make teams sit up and take notice and getting points on the board from those matches would be great for confidence,” added Bale.

With Redknapp’s men failing to qualify for the Champions League, rumours were rife linking star players with moves away from the White Hart Lane. Harry Redknapp, though, is determined to keep hold of his players as he aims for a return to the elite European club competition.

GARETH BALE has been warned to stay clear of Team GB, by Welsh legend Neville Southall.An Olympic football war has already erupted after England forced Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to make players available for a British team at London 2012.

Top stars such as Tottenham's Gareth Bale and Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey can now be selected after the FA and British Olympic Association issued a joint ruling which has infuriated the Home Nations.

Bale and Wales skipper Ramsey have already said they would like to play at London 2012 - as it is one of the few chances they have of competing at a major championships.

But former Everton goalkeeper Southall, Wales' most capped player with 92 appearances, said: "I think it opens a can of worms.

"The whole point of going to the Olympics is that special moment when your flag goes up. What flag are they going to put up if they win it? The Union Jack? It's not my flag. My flag's a Dragon.

"As a Welshman I'd rather play for Wales if I was in the Olympics. I would want to go and represent my country.

"I don't see the point having a Great British team. You will just lose the identity of all the teams."

Southall also believes club managers with be reluctant to allow players to take part in a competition whose final takes place on August 11 - exactly a week before the start of the 2012/13 Premier League season.

And the former Wales captain believes football at the Olympic Games should be a competition for amateur rather than professional players.

He said: "I wouldn't send professional players anywhere near it. Why would you want to get them injured?

"If I've got a player who is worth £10m, why would I want somebody kicking lumps out of him at the Olympics?

"It's a nice tournament but it's supposed to be for the best amateurs.

"I've heard David Beckham's name mentioned and people like that and I'm thinking 'that's professional'. The whole ethos of the Olympics is it's amateur."

The British Olympic Association, who were beginning to lose patience in the long-running saga, finally reached an agreement with the FA on Tuesday following a SIX-YEAR battle since London won the bid.

It is believed that Blues manager Roberto Mancini has told the club's owners that real star-quality must be purchased if they are to build on FA Cup victory

Manchester City are reportedly preparing a massive £40 million bid for Tottenham winger Gareth Bale in order to test the resolve of the north London club - who would reportedly want £50m for the player should they decide to sell him.

It is thought that City manager Roberto Mancini sees Bale as a key signing that could potentially take the club to the next level as they look to build on finishing third in the Premier League and winning the FA Cup.

Mancini is also keen to strengthen the squad in general in preparation for their up-coming Champions League campaign, with the addition of Bale something that could see City as one of the dark-horses for the world’s top club competition.

The Sunday Express report that City’s owners will stump up £40m for the Welsh winger as they believe he could be the marquee signing they crave.

Should the club eventually sign the player for that amount, it would set a new record fee for the transfer of a British player between British clubs. The record currently stands at the £35m Liverpool paid for Andy Carroll from Newcastle in January this year - but Spurs may well demand even more than the £40m being mentioned.

It is also being reported that City are looking at Everton’s Leighton Baines as a possible signing for left-back after a season of uncertainty in that position.

City signed Aleksandar Kolarov from Lazio for a fee around £17 last summer, but the Serbian has never really impressed at Eastlands and Pablo Zabaleta, a player more comfortable on the right, has often filled in on the left side.

The reported fee involved is £20m with Wayne Bridge added into the deal after the former Chelsea player spent some of last season on loan at West Ham.

Tottenham are willing to cash in on star Gareth Bale to leave for a staggering £50million.

Tottenham have already had approaches for Bale, with Manchester United being linked with the 21-year-old following his heroics in the Champions League.

But Spurs are demanding top dollar for the Welsh wonder, who is also raid to be on the radar of the likes of Juventus and Inter Milan.

Should they receive an offer they cannot refuse, Tottenham would use the cash to reinvest in the team with striker Leandro Damiao of Brazilian side Internacional among those on their hit-list.

Gareth Bale says he was full of confidence going into the 2010-11 season and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Welshman experienced what could prove to be a career-defining campaign, setting Europe alight with his performances in the Champions League and picking up the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award at the end of it.

It came after a second half to the previous season in which he came in from the cold to break his way into Harry Redknapp’s side and play a key role in our top four Premier League finish.

And his impressive seven league goals in the first half of the season just gone was one of the factors in us looking like we would repeat that feat around the turn of the year.

But injuries ultimately got the better of the winger in the second part of the campaign, and those problems seemed to coincide with our own dip in form.

However, Gareth is focused on the positives, and said: “Coming into the season I felt confident playing all the time and I felt comfortable playing on the wide left. Then once the season started it felt like I was improving with every game.

“It was a good first half to the season but a frustrating second half for myself, picking up a little back injury, then a hamstring, then an ankle injury that finished my season. But aside from the injuries it was a good season all round and one I’m looking to build on.

“Hopefully I can get a good recovery in the off-season and be ready for pre-season and the new season.

“There has been a lot of ups rather than downs and that’s the main thing. We had a great run in the Champions League, a great run in the league and some good performances.”

Indeed, the Champions League is where Gareth seemed to really make his name – the 21-year-old is now widely seen as one of the best young players in Europe.

But it was the 45 minutes in which he single-handedly lifted us from the dead at the San Siro on October 20, 2010, that will live long in the memory.

His splendid hat-trick brought us back from 4-0 down against holders Inter Milan to bring us to within a goal of making it surely one of the greatest comebacks in football history.

Gareth recalls: “At half-time I don’t think anybody thought it was going to be one of those nights to remember, but the team dug in. We had 10 men but I think we looked the better team in the second half.

“To score a hat-trick was a great achievement personally but it turned one of those horrendous defeats into one that didn’t look so bad in the end.

“I enjoyed playing in the Champions League more than anything. It’s one of those competitions where you compete and prove yourself against the best.”

Gareth Bale is heading for a confrontation with the Football Association of Wales after he declared that he would like to represent Great Britain at next year's Olympics.

Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are unwilling to allow their players to take part in the London Games as they fear their independence in international football will be compromised. Fifa has repeatedly stated that the countries in question would be allowed to continue playing international football as separate nations if they did contribute to a British team, but none of the representative associations say they are willing to take the risk.

That leaves England as the only country willing to give their players permission to turn out for Team GB – a position with which Bale is unhappy. The 21‑year‑old, who had an impressive season for Tottenham, would undoubtedly make a British squad if the FAW changes its position, and he wants to take part.

"I want to play in the Olympics. I think it would be a great experience," Bale said. "At the moment Wales haven't qualified for a major tournament in I don't know how many years so it would be nice to play in one against the best countries in the world. You see it with the British and Irish Lions in the rugby, they come together as a unit and play against other countries. It's great and there's no reason why that can't happen with the football."

Although not regarded as one of the marquee events of the Olympic movement, football has been a regular fixture in all but one Games since its introduction in 1908. Six venues across the UK, including the Millennium Stadium, will host matches, with August's final taking place at Wembley.

Each of the 16 men's teams and 12 women's teams will consist of youngsters, with only two players over the age of 23 allowed in each squad.

Britain's men have won the event twice, first in 1908 and then four years later in Stockholm. With Stuart Pearce's promising England Under-21s due to make up the majority of the squad, Team GB would have a good chance of success and Bale is keen to have an Olympic medal to his name. "I'm not massively into athletics but I watch the 100 metres final and the other track and field events. You see the athletes getting medals and there's no reason why we can't get a medal ourselves," he said.

Bale said the fact that the Games is taking place on home soil is a big incentive to play, but admitted that any decision on whether he takes part would rest with the FAW. He said: "The crowds would be piling in to watch us. It would be a great atmosphere and experience for us. I'm not really sure how it works with who can play, though. That's something Wales would decide."

Wales manager Gary Speed is looking forward to seeing a fully fit and refreshed Gareth Bale next season after losing the services of the Tottenham winger for the national side again.

Bale would have been in the squad for the Carling Nations Cup matches against Scotland and Northern Ireland in Dublin at the end of the month but has been sidelined by an ankle ligament injury sustained against Blackpool at the weekend.

The 21-year-old also missed Wales' Euro 2012 qualifier at home to England in March after pulling out with a hamstring injury - which sparked a club versus country row.

Bale has had a stand-out season for Tottenham and Speed believes the enforced rest will do the player good.

"I spoke to Gareth yesterday. He was very positive about it,'' the Wales boss said. "He assured me that the surgeon told him it was the best possible result, the best-case scenario in terms of the ligaments he has damaged. So it will be four to six weeks off and then he can continue training.

"It is a good thing as he has had a long, tough season so that four to six weeks will do him good I would imagine. I don't think he's had surgery - I don't think he needs it. But he is going to stay at Spurs for his rehabilitation.''

Speed has a number of injuries to assess ahead of the two matches in three days, as well as working out who is going to be available as a number of his players are involved in end-of-season play-offs with their clubs.

He will be able to call on his captain, Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey, however. The 20-year-old captained his national side for the first time in March's encounter against England and, although the decision drew some criticism from Ramsey's club manager Arsene Wenger, Speed insists he chose him for all the right reasons.

"When Arsene Wenger says something like that as a young manager you listen and take it on board,'' he added. "If Arsene says it I respect him totally but we didn't just make Aaron captain for the England game - we made him captain for the future.

"I know Cesc Fabregas was a captain at a very early age at Arsenal and he probably made mistakes. Aaron will learn a lot as he has goes on. I've not put any extra pressure on him. I just want him to go out and play.

"He is going to have quiet games and great games but the reason behind it was the future of the team and it was definitely the right decision. When we are in a position to compete in two years' time then I think Aaron will benefit from the experience he is getting now.''

Speed also welcomes back West Ham midfielder Jack Collison - whom he hopes will be one of his major future stars - into the squad after more than 14 months out.

The 22-year-old has only just made his comeback after a long lay-off with a knee injury, playing 26 minutes in the Hammers' 1-1 draw with Blackburn at the weekend.

Prior to that Collison had been sidelined since March 3 2010, having been injured in Wales' friendly defeat to Sweden at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea. Speed has promised to take it steady with the player but is relishing the prospect of having him back.

"I am delighted for Jack. He is one I have talked to over the last six or seven months about his progress and it was great he came on last week for West Ham,'' he added. "He has been out for a long time and his injury is one we have to manage and we'll certainly be doing that, liaising with West Ham to see what the best is for Jack.

"He could be very important. He is an excellent player and before his injury he was playing very well for West Ham. He has a bright future in front of him and hopefully he will have a good one for Wales.

"I think if you look at some of the players we have in our squad for the future he fits right in there."