A leaked document reportedly showed the true cost of Gareth Bale’s 2013 transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid - including a huge insurance fee.
Bale, 35, transferred from Spurs to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013, having impressed in the Premier League.
The reported transfer fee at the time was around £78m – a record for a British player back then.
Advert
However, as reported by the Mirror, a ‘leaked’ document claimed that the Wales international did cost more than Cristiano Ronaldo, who signed for Madrid from Manchester United in 2009 for £83m.
In 2016, Madrid club president Florentino Perez stated that Ronaldo cost more than Bale.
However, a report posted online by Football Leaks showed the supposed true cost of Bale’s 2013 transfer.
Advert
The report claims that the total cost for Bale was actually €99,743.542, which at the 2013 exchange rate was £85,131,147 – more than Ronaldo’s transfer.
It read: "The first instalment of €24,935,895 was paid within 10 working days of the agreed sale. The next (also €24,935,895) was due by July 24 2014.
"The third (again €24,935,895 ) was due a year after that, and the final installment of £21,282,787 is set to be paid on July 24 2016."
Advert
The fee to insure Bale was also leaked to be £78 million, with Perez reportedly saying: "Yes, sure. It's a life insurance, against accidents. Bale is insured for the amount he cost."
Of course, the eye-watering transfer fee was arguably justified as Bale went on to make 258 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 106 goals, which helped the side secure five Champions League crowns and three La Liga titles. The Welshman left Madrid in 2022, following a loan spell at Spurs, before signing for MLS side Los Angeles FC.
Before Bale announced he was leaving, club president Perez, 78, said: "Each one is as he is and has his personality. The last thing I remember from him is in Kiev [against Liverpool]. He throws a scissors [overhead kick] and scores a goal. And then he scores another.
"And the header in Lisbon [against Atletico Madrid]. That race against Barcelona in Valencia in the Copa del Rey."
Advert
Speaking after his announced his departure from Real, Bale said: “I can now look back, reflect and say with honesty that this dream became a reality and much, much more.
“To be a part of this club's history and to achieve what we achieved while I was a Real Madrid player, has been an incredible experience and one I will never forget."
Topics: Gareth Bale, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur, Cristiano Ronaldo, Football
Luke Davies