Real Madrid are so desperate to land Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino in the summer that they will offer Spurs Gareth Bale on the cheap to sweeten the deal, according to the Daily Star.
The newspaper claims that with Manchester United lurking Madrid are concerned that they could miss out on the Argentine.
Tottenham are said to want at least £45million in compensation for Pochettino, while Madrid want to give Spurs first refusal on Bale to ensure they get their man.
The 29-year-old, who now has four Champions League winners medals – will be offered to the North London outfit on the cheap, provided it paves the way for Pochettino to take the post at the Bernabeu.
OPINION
Now this is interesting. With all the talk about Pochettino and the United job it’s easy to forget that Madrid will have a vacancy too come the summer. They have long courted the Argentine and it would make sense for them to make another move for him once the season comes to a close. Obviously their plans have potentially been damaged by United entering the fray, meaning that drastic measures need to be taken. Bale is certainly that. The Welsh international remains a superstar of the footballing world and a top class player, and any team would be lucky to have him. However, his fitness remains a concern, while he is now 29 years of age. Whether Bale is a big enough fish for chairman Daniel Levy to countenance losing Pochettino remains to be seen, but this deal would at least see Spurs get something in return on the pitch for the loss of their great manager. We’ll have to wait and see how this whole situation plays out come the summer.