Pundit warns Spurs not to repeat Arsenal’s mistake by signing world-class player

Former West Ham United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has warned Tottenham and Jose Mourinho not to repeat Arsenal and Manchester United’s mistakes by signing someone like Gareth Bale who would demand a massive salary.

Express Sport reported yesterday that Spurs are working round the clock to get a permanent deal for Bale agreed before the transfer deadline after Real Madrid informed them that they will not be loaning out the Welsh superstar.

Madrid are said to be keen on offloading Bale permanently and are apparently locked in negotiations with Spurs to complete the deal.

However, it is suggested that the former Spurs star’s £650,000 a week contract could prove a major obstacle to any deal.

While former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson urged the Lilywhites to do all they can to land Bale (Football Insider), former Newcastle and West Ham number one Hislop has warned the club to tread cautiously.

Comparing it to the situations of Mesut Ozil at Arsenal and Alexis Sanchez at Manchester United, Hislop felt that signing somebody like Bale and putting them on much higher wages than the rest of the squad could have an adverse effect on team harmony.

Speaking to ESPN FC, the pundit said: “Maybe because it’s Jose Mourinho, we know he likes to dabble in the transfer market and Spurs, as much as anybody, need players, especially given their own inconsistencies.

“Despite those inconsistencies, top four is still within touching distance. Gareth Bale to Spurs has been linked and talked about for quite some time.

“I still feel getting Gareth Bale out of Real Madrid is complicated. It’s not just about money – money’s a big part of it but it’s a very complicated transfer to put together.

“Given his age, gone 30, to put him on that kind of money, as we saw with the likes of Alexis Sanchez at United and Ozil at Arsenal, when you have one player on that money and you try to attract more world-class talent, they all say, ‘Well I want this as well.’

“That becomes an issue. Bale to Spurs? I’m going to say no, just because I feel it’s harder to achieve than it is.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Spurs fans who are desperate for the club to bring Bale back to the club are thinking emotionally rather than rationally. While the prospect of seeing Bale back in a Spurs shirt is certainly tantalising, there is no doubt that we can get more value for money elsewhere given Bale’s age and injury record.

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