Gareth Bale's form for Tottenham has attracted the attention of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale's form for Tottenham has attracted the attention of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale's form for Tottenham has attracted the attention of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale's form for Tottenham has attracted the attention of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Real Madrid and Barcelona to duel for Gareth Bale's services


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Real Madrid and Barcelona are preparing to do battle over the future of Gareth Bale, with both clubs holding exploratory discussions with the player's representatives over a switch from Tottenham Hotspur to Spanish football. A summer bid by either club would trigger a counteroffer from their great domestic rival.

Barcelona have expressed their intention to more than double Bale's current salary by paying him €7 million (Dh34.2m) a season at Camp Nou.

Real say they will go higher still, offering €9m per annum if the Wales international chooses them, an option his advisers are thought to be leaning towards.

The Spanish and European champions' interest in Bale stems from concerns that their playing tactics have developed a degree of predictability. Dani Alves, nominally a right-back, pushes up the field to provide the team with a width that is usually absent on the opposite side.

Adding Bale to the squad, calculates Pep Guardiola, would allow his team to attack from either full-back berth, or both, in any match.

He also intends to use Bale from a starting position on the left side of his attack.

The complication for Barcelona, whose sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta, held two meetings about Bale towards the end of the year, will be breaking Tottenham's resistance to selling their most valuable asset.

Harry Redknapp, Tottenham's manager, and Daniel Levy, their chairman, have compared Bale's value to Cristiano Ronaldo, who ultimately left Manchester United for £80m (Dh464.8m) when he joined Real in 2009.

Though Barcelona's income rose to €485m in the last financial year, the club continues to nurse a substantial debt and would seek to restrict the fee to €30m.

On top of a cash sum they will consider offering players from their well-regarded B squad, which included a long-term Tottenham target, the central defender Marc Bartra.

Outmanoeuvred last year by Barcelona over the pursuit of the young Brazil forward Neymar, Real are determined to thwart them over Bale. On top of offering superior personal terms they intend to outbid Barca over the transfer fee or push the price to a level their rivals would not be prepared to meet.

Bale's representatives, meanwhile, have been attempting to position their 22-year-old client as the next Ronaldo, arguing that his blend of pace, athletic physique and attacking elan could be developed into an effectiveness equivalent to the game's most expensive player.

Tottenham are in a strong position to maximise their profit on a player signed from Southampton for £7m in 2007, having extended his contract until 2015 last season.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Price, base: Dh359,200

Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

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Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km

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The biog

Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling

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Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

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UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.

Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.

The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.

Short-term let permits explained

Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.

Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.

There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.

Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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