Gareth Bale will officially become the most expensive player in football history this week after Real Madrid ended a summer of speculation by agreeing to a record deal for the Welsh winger, according to sources connected with the negotiations.
The Spanish club is expected to pay around €100 million ($134 million) in cash to Tottenham Hotspur, Bale's English Premier League team, breaking the $124.6 million transfer fee they spent on Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.
Bale has been on Madrid’s wanted list for months but Tottenham’s stance of holding out for the maximum amount delayed the transfer past the start of the new European season, which held its second round of matches this weekend.
The 24-year-old emerged as a legitimate international star over the past two seasons, with his age, physical power and outrageous skill set positioning him as Madrid's most sought-after target.
He will likely never play in a World Cup due to the weakness of the Wales national team, but Real hopes it is buying a player that will greatly enhance its push for the Spanish La Liga title, as well as the Champions League crown.
Source: Yahoo
