Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has blasted Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti for his public pursuit of Gareth Bale.
Bale is widely expected to complete a world record move, valued at around 100 million euros, to the Real Madrid next week. |
Villas-Boas insisted that Bale was not for sale and even pictured the 24-year-old still in a Spurs shirt this season. Bale is widely expected to complete a world record move, valued at around 100 million euros, to the Spanish giant next week. But Villas-Boas said that the suggestion the player is on the brink of leaving White Hart Lane is just speculation.
"In my opinion Carlo was wrong to make it public," said Villas-Boas, after seeing his side lose 2-5 to Monaco in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.
"We had conversations with Real and these were then confirmed publicly which, in my opinion, was wrong."
Villas-Boas added: "These rumors of an imminent transfer are not true."
Bale remained in London where he reportedly had already said his farewells to his Tottenham teammates.
"Normally this kind of situation is monitored by the Football Association. The only thing we can say officially is that the player is not for sale," added Villas-Boas. "Gareth is a guy I really like. We are talking with Real Madrid because there is respect between the two clubs following the transfer last season of Luka Modric.
"We are building a great team for next season. We envisage the future with Gareth. But we know that in football anything is possible."
Elsewhere, Arsene Wenger also criticized Brendan Rodgers after the Liverpool manager insisted the Gunners bid for Luis Suarez fell well short of the player's valuation. Speaking after his side's 2-2 draw with Napoli at the pre-season Emirates Cup tournament, Wenger confirmed the club had made a formal bid for Suarez, believed to be in the region of British pounds 40 million.
But he also insisted negotiations would remain in-house and admitted he was perplexed by Rodgers's decision to speak out.
"I do not understand this kind of thinking and would not like to talk openly about negotiations, because that is not my target in (this) press conference," he said. "We have one month in front of us and we will work very hard to strengthen our squad, without naming any specific names, because I do not believe that will make negotiations easier.
"I never said we have made a bid to Liverpool, now I can tell you we have made one, so at least that is some information. All the rest, I would like to keep to us."
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