Gareth Bale has disclosed that Manchester United presented him with a more lucrative offer than Real Madrid while he was at Tottenham, but he ultimately preferred to join the La Liga side.
The former Wales international made the switch from White Hart Lane to the Bernabéu in 2013 for a fee of £85.3 million ($113.86m).
This high-profile transfer came after a lengthy negotiation process during the summer of 2013, with Bale mentioning that United was the only other team to make an official bid for him.
“I talked to David Moyes, but my heart was always set on Madrid,” Bale said in an appearance on the “Stick to Football” podcast.
“I had an informal agreement with Daniel Levy; it was more of a gentleman’s understanding. He didn’t want to sell me to a rival, saying, ‘We don’t want to strengthen another team.’
“So, if any clubs from Spain, Italy, Germany, or elsewhere came in, I could consider moving, especially since we didn’t qualify for the Champions League that season. We had this gentleman’s agreement, although it wasn’t easy.”
“Looking back over the last 12 years, I believe I made the right choice,” he added.
“The financial aspect didn’t play a role with United. We didn’t get that far in discussions. They did present a higher bid and included a player in the deal, but it didn’t progress much.”
During his nine years at Madrid, Bale secured five Champions League titles and three LaLiga championships, netting 106 goals in 258 appearances.
He returned to Spurs on loan for the 2020-21 season before parting ways with Madrid permanently in 2022. Despite his second stint at Tottenham not being successful, he remains connected to the club and its supporters.
Bale was on hand as a broadcaster for their Europa League victory last year and was seen celebrating their first trophy in 17 years.
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Tottenham has struggled to build on their past successes and is currently at risk of relegation from the Premier League. Bale attributes their difficulties to financial constraints.
“Perhaps they don’t offer as much… when you look at the wage bill, it’s lower, and that speaks for itself,” he noted.
“To attract top talent, you need to be spending significantly more. A 50-million-pound player isn’t what it used to be. Now, you need 80, 90, or even 100 million to secure a good player. It could be a financial issue that’s restricting them from attracting the kind of high-caliber players who can make an immediate impact.”
“Moreover, they often opt for younger players, hoping to develop them into stars, which has worked for some, including me and a few others in the past.
“But Tottenham is now an established club with a new stadium, a state-of-the-art training ground, and a loyal fanbase. It’s time to focus on acquiring bigger talents and perhaps invest a bit more.”