The stage is set, literally, for Gareth Bale’s arrival at Real Madrid. While Los Blancos and Tottenham Hotspur iron out the final details of the world record deal, staff at the Santiago Bernabeu have been busy erecting the stage on which Bale will be presented.
AS has the pictures on its front page, showing everything is in place for the player’s arrival in the Spanish capital. Some expected the deal to be announced on Friday, but other reports suggest it has been put on hold after Chelsea hijacked Spurs’ deal to sign Willian – the intended replacement for Bale. Whatever the case, it is clear Los Blancos are ready.
Elsewhere, the keeper debate rages on, with Marca opting for the subject on its front page. The paper says both Iker Casillas and Diego Lopez have found the Santiago Bernabeu crowd difficult to deal with, after they received boos and whistles from fans.
Marca carries quotes from Gonzalo Higuain, sold to Napoli in the summer, saying that Carlo Ancelotti tried his best to convince him to stay in Madrid. The Italian saw the 26-year-old as an important part of the team, but Higuain said he was more excited by the prospect of a new challenge elsewhere and the importance of the project underway at Rafa Benitez’s new team.
