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EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham target Lamela, Eriksen and Willian in bid to keep Bale from Real
DANIEL LEVY will make his pitch to persuade Gareth Bale to stay at Tottenham in the next 24 hours by telling him big names are coming.
Tottenham majority shareholder Joe Lewis will allow Levy to carry on spending this summer on at least three big signings, with Spurs having already splashed out £50m on new players.
Lewis wants Bale to spurn the advances of Real Madrid and give Spurs one more year because he believes with the top three clubs – Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea – all in transition under new managers, a serious title challenge is within their grasp.
Lewis wants Bale to lead that assault, with the promise that the Welshman can go next summer when Spurs recoup the money they have spent by entering the Champions League.
The top two targets before the transfer window shuts on September 2 are Roma’s Argentina winger Erik Lamela, who will cost about £30m, and Ajax’s £8m Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen.
Spurs will also compete with Liverpool for Anzhi Makhachkala’s £30m Brazilian striker Willian.
Also on the shopping list is Croatian teenager Alen Halilovic, dubbed the ‘new Luka Modric’, for whom a £12.9m deal has already been agreed with Dinamo Zagreb.
Levy has told Real he will accept nothing less than £105m for Bale, but there are now major doubts as to whether the Spanish club will be able to come up with the cash. Real have so far offered £86m, which was dismissed by Levy.
But Tottenham are still steeling themselves for another Madrid bid.
Spurs have already brought in Brazilian midfielder Paulinho, striker Roberto Soldado, and winger Nacer Chadli, with Etienne Capoue’s £9m move from Toulouse set to be completed within days.