Wednesday, 28th August, 2013
Gareth Bale is facing a fine from Tottenham Hotspur after failing to show up for a second successive day of training.
Bale is on the verge of completing his near €100m move to Real Madrid, though one which has been delayed somewhat in the past few days.
Apparently frustrated at Spurs' procrastination, Bale skipped training yesterday after returning from his club-authorised break in Marbella and stayed away today as well.
It has not gone down well with the Spurs hierarchy, not least with manager Andre Villas-Boas, who nevertheless gave the Bale move his blessing at last.
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"He is involved in a big transfer move to Real Madrid and, in the end, if it happens, we wish him all the best", Villas-Boas told a press conference relayed by the BBC.
"But the fact that he hasn't turned up is not the correct behaviour.
"That is the position they chose to take and it's up to the club to decide if it's a fineable offence. It could happen very, very soon."
Villas-Boas also admitted it was very likely that Tottenham would concede to selling Bale to Real Madrid, in what could become a world-record transfer.
The current record is held by Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo for his move from Manchester United, and Bale's transfer could eclipse that by some distance.
"At the moment the two clubs are speaking", Villas-Boas added. "I'm not sure how much time it is going to take. It can can happen very soon, it might not happen so soon.
"I suppose it could go to the last day or it could happen in next two days. But you wouldn't expect the biggest transfer in world football to happen easily."
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