Andre Villas-Boas has reflected on the difficulty he faced in trying to keep Gareth Bale at Tottenham amid interest from Real Madrid.
A long summer pursuit of the Welsh winger from the Spaniards was wrapped up in the final days of the transfer market, with the London club agreeing to sell for a figure reported as between €90m and €100m.
Reflecting this week on the move, Spurs’ Coach spoke of Madrid’s authority in turning the player’s head.
“The influence of Real Madrid has been very big and you get to a point where you have to consider if it's feasible not to accept an offer and whether you can press on with a player in that state of mind,” Villas-Boas reflected at the UEFA club coaches forum held this week in Nyon.
“Obviously, we should be happy with the transfer fee that was paid. Players want to win championships and I believe that with Gareth that is within reach.
“At the end of the day, it's up to a player to decide if he wants to stay or wants to go.”
