Bale not for sale says Villas-Boas as Spurs boss slams Real buying tacticsAndre Villas-Boas insists the only talks between Tottenham and Real Madrid regarding Gareth Bale have been to tell the Spanish club he is not for sale.Bale has been linked with a world record transfer to Madrid with reports of a deal worth up to £105million being all but finalised, but
Spurs manager Villas-Boas insists he is continuing to plan for the coming season with Bale in his team, while admitting to some frustration with Madrid's very public pursuit of the Wales international.
'I think the rumours that anything is imminent are not true,' he told reporters at a press conference after last night's 5-2 friendly defeat to Monaco, before going on to criticise Real coach Carlo Ancelotti for publicly confirming that talks had taken place.
'We've allowed ourselves conversations with Real Madrid, confirmed by their coach I think wrongly, but the only thing we've communicated is that the player is our player and not for sale.'Asked if he felt Ancelotti was in the wrong, Villas-Boas said: "I think so, in my opinion.
'Carlo is a person I appreciate a lot and we have great respect for each other, but bearing in mind this situation they have decided to make it public.
'Normally in situations like this in England it is scrutinised by the (Football Association) with lots of care and attention. We have seen lots of people speak about a player that is not theirs and we are due some respect.
'There are conversations because there is big, big respect between the clubs bearing in the mind the transfer last year (of Luka Modric) and the agreement last year of goodwill between the clubs. At the moment we are following from those instructions.
'But of the player, bearing in mind the investment you have seen at Tottenham recently, he is a player who is decisive for us. We are building a very strong team and we are building for a future with Gareth.
'In football, anything is possible but what we have communicated so far is that we are not willing to concede to their interest in the player.'
Bale has not featured for Tottenham during the pre-season, with a foot injury reported to have been the cause for his absence from the Monaco trip.
It is being reported that the player is unsettled amid Madrid's continuing interest.
Tottenham owner Joe Lewis will take control of talks over the sale of the Welshman.
The Bahamas-based billionaire will meet Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in Miami or Phoenix, along with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.
Lewis knows Perez is under massive pressure to land Bale for Madrid and Real may try to negotiate payment of the transfer fee in instalments to avoid falling foul of the financial fair play rules.Former Tottenham manager George Graham views Bale's departure from White Hart Lane as inevitable.
'I think he'll go, there's no question about it," Graham told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek programme.
'The money they're talking about is a bit inflated, but he's a top class player, one of the best in the world.
'If he wants to go, Tottenham will push the price as high as they possibly can.
'They need a top class centre forward, that's one of the reasons why they finished fifth last season. They need more firepower up front and the sooner they get it the better.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2384318/Gareth-Bale-sale-says-Tottenham-boss-Andre-Villas-Boas.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
