Tottenham director Sir Keith Mills has acknowledged Spurs could find it “very difficult” to keep Gareth Bale at White Hart Lane if the Welshman wants to move to Real Madrid.
“If a player is desperate to leave, it’s very difficult to force him to stay”, Mills said.
After Real Madrid confirmed they are in talks to sign the 24-year-old, Bale has shown signs that he wants to leave, missing Spurs match against Monaco and arriving late to yesterday’s training.
Although Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas has stated Bale is not for sale, Mills admits their efforts to keep him could be futile. “We’ve seen it in other clubs. Even if he has a contract, you can’t force somebody to play for you”, told the Evening Standard.
However, Tottenham’s director admitted they “very much want Bale to stay”.
Bale, who scored 26 goals for Spurs last season, has not played for his club since their first game of the summer against Swindon on July 16th.
Real Madrid have been reported to offer a world-record sum to bring the Welshman to Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
