May 20th, the 38th round of the 2010/2011 Premier League season.
Tottenham Hotspur hosted Birmingham at home.
Thanks to goals from Crouch and Van der Vaart, Spurs defeated Birmingham 2:1. However, in the league standings, Spurs finished fifth, failing to secure a Champions League spot for the next season.
The entire season had come to an end. The Spurs players had some achievements but also regrets.
But it was over!
For many players, they were now liberated and could enjoy their upcoming vacations.
"Hey! Gareth, what are your plans for the break? I found a great spot for a holiday. Want to join?" Crouch invited Bale with a smile. "Hey! I've invited some girls. We can really enjoy this break."
Bale was surprised. "Aren't you getting married to Abbey in June?"
Crouch shrugged. "So, this is the last hurrah!"
Bale shook his head. "Forget it, I don't want to go."
As Crouch turned away, Bale faintly heard him discussing him with other teammates. Crouch's tone carried a hint of displeasure—clearly, the rejection had annoyed him.
But Bale truly didn't want to go on vacation.
Or rather, he wasn't in the mood for it.
This season was his first time competing in the Champions League—a season filled with both excitement and uncertainty.
What excited him was his outstanding performance in the Champions League, which not only significantly increased his market value but also promised him a new contract.
What made him uncertain was that after witnessing truly top-tier elite clubs, his restless heart couldn't help but yearn for more.
Especially after the match against Real Madrid—a game that felt like a crushing defeat.
The sense of powerlessness, the despair of that devastating loss, nearly drove Bale insane.
He had blamed himself for not being strong enough.
He had also blamed his teammates for not being capable enough.
But eventually, he calmed down, realizing he needed to think things through calmly.
This was also why he wasn't in a hurry to accept Spurs' new contract offer.
As a professional player, he wanted to chase championships. He wanted to play on bigger stages, in front of larger audiences.
He wanted to win, not lose.
He wanted, even just once, to lift that championship trophy!
When he joined Spurs, Bale was young and brash, believing his talent alone could lead Spurs to great achievements, even to their first-ever league title.
But four years had passed since 2007.
He still had nothing to show for it.
In the league, they were constantly thwarted by Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and others, leaving him exhausted.
Often, he wished for a reliable partner.
Someone who could support him when he was tired, someone to share the burden.
But there was no one!
He wasn't Ronaldo!
He wasn't even Suker!
He couldn't dominate the field like they could.
It was at this moment that he began to feel lost.
He didn't know where to go or how to plan his future.
His naive hopes and dreams were being ruthlessly torn apart by reality, but he could do nothing about it. He didn't even know what to do!
From the noisy training ground, he returned to his quiet little home.
He sat alone on the sofa for a long time, lost in thought.
Bale had no friends!
Even at Spurs, he didn't have many close friends.
They all said he was strange.
Bale knew he was introverted and sensitive, but he had tried hard to get along with them. Yet, he still couldn't fit in.
"Everything is just terrible," Bale sighed softly.
Ring ring!
His phone rang.
Bale took out his phone and saw it was Van der Vaart calling.
Van der Vaart had joined Spurs this season, but this experienced "veteran" had brought about many changes in him, even contributing to his breakthrough performances.
Click!
Bale answered the call.
"Gareth? Where are you?"
Van der Vaart's voice came through the phone.
Bale blinked. "I'm at home."
"Are you free tonight? Let's have dinner together and watch some football."
Bale was about to refuse, but looking around his empty room, he finally nodded. "Okay, sure. Send me the address."
Night fell over London's Canary Wharf business district.
This bustling center was located on the Isle of Dogs.
Bale drove to a bar, parked his car, and entered a private room as per Van der Vaart's instructions.
Inside, he saw Van der Vaart sitting with a stranger.
"Gareth" Van der Vaart waved with a smile.
Bale glanced at the stranger opposite him, who was also sizing him up.
"Have you had dinner?" Van der Vaart asked.
Bale hadn't eaten but didn't want to cause trouble, so he nodded. "I've eaten."
"Then let's have a drink!"
Van der Vaart smiled, pointing at the stranger. "My friend, Perales!"
Perales smiled and extended his hand, shaking hands with Bale.
In the quiet private room, they chatted, reminiscing about some matches from the season, occasionally sighing with emotion.
As they talked, Van der Vaart suddenly turned to Bale. "Gareth, would you like to play for Real Madrid?"
Bale was stunned.
"Real Madrid?"
Seeing Bale's reaction, Van der Vaart and Perales exchanged glances, looking surprised.
Van der Vaart continued probing, "You didn't know?"
"What should I know?" Bale was still confused.
Van der Vaart: "Actually, during our home game against Real Madrid, Mr. Pérez, the president of Real Madrid, came to White Hart Lane. After the match, he met with Levy (Spurs chairman) to discuss your transfer. They even made a first offer. But I'm surprised you didn't know about it."
He paused, then asked, "Do you have a notification clause in your contract?"
Player contracts are complex, especially for famous players.
Among these clauses is a notification clause—to avoid being burdened by cumbersome transfer negotiations, the club won't notify the player unless the offer exceeds a certain amount.
For example, Suárez, who was playing for Liverpool at the time, had a notification clause set at €40 million. Offers below that wouldn't be communicated to him; only offers exceeding €40 million would be notified.
Bale nodded. "I have a notification clause—€50 million."
Van der Vaart grinned.
Levy, that bloodsucker!
"But..." Van der Vaart was about to speak when Perales raised his hand. "Let me handle this."
Van der Vaart nodded.
Bale turned to look as Perales cleared his throat. "Hello, Bale. Let me reintroduce myself. I am Marc Perales, head of the commercial department at Real Madrid. You can call me Perales."
Under Bale's astonished gaze, Perales continued, "Actually, we made a first offer to Spurs in April. But based on a verbal agreement, neither side disclosed this to the media. However, after our offer, Spurs kept delaying. They neither accepted nor rejected the offer."
He paused, then added, "We were planning to make a second offer, but to clarify some things, I came here. First, let me give you a reference: our first offer for you was €69 million! This already exceeds your notification clause. You have the right to know about this."
Bale's brows furrowed deeply. He pursed his lips. "I didn't know."
Perales tilted his head, also confused.
But soon, Bale took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Barnett, did Real Madrid make an offer for me?"
"Real Madrid made an offer for you? What are you talking about?"
Bale glanced at Perales. "I'll give you an address. Can you come over? We need to clarify something."
A short while later, Bale's agent, the well-known English agent Jonathan Barnett, arrived at the private room.
Listening to Perales' account, Barnett's expression darkened.
"That's the situation. I don't know what happened that prevented our offer from being communicated to Bale," Perales shrugged, also puzzled by the situation.
Barnett said grimly, "Spurs are in the middle of negotiating a new contract with Bale!"
He pursed his lips, gritting his teeth.
"The negotiations were going smoothly. We were almost about to sign a new contract, extending it to 2015!"
Perales was taken aback but quickly understood.
Spurs were trying to take advantage of this window to speed up the renewal with Bale and then further increase the price.
Even if Bale later caused a fuss, Spurs would still have leverage over him.
"The timing was right for a renewal, and the terms they offered were very generous. At first, I was a bit suspicious, but given Bale's performance, the salary seemed reasonable. I thought Levy and Spurs wanted to elevate Bale's status within the team. I never imagined he'd pull something like this behind our backs."
Barnett was furious.
Levy was afraid Bale might be swayed by Real Madrid's offer, which was why he hadn't informed Bale.
Even if caught, Levy could easily come up with excuses.
For example, the pressure of the league, the intensity of the Champions League schedule, or the club being too busy—there were plenty of reasons to justify the delay.
The key was that once Bale signed the new contract, Spurs would牢牢地 (firmly) tie him down and then demand a sky-high price from Real Madrid.
"How long is left on Bale's contract?" Perales asked.
Barnett glanced at Perales, who awkwardly said, "Sorry, I overstepped."
Barnett: "What was your offer?"
"First offer: €69 million."
Bang!
Barnett slammed the table. "Damn Levy!"
Barnett took a deep breath. "Bale, what are your thoughts? Do you want to play for Real Madrid?"
Bale was completely stunned.
His mind was in chaos.
"I... I don't know."
At that moment, Van der Vaart spoke up. "Gareth, let me give you some advice. You won't win any trophies at Spurs. Go! Go to Real Madrid. That's where you can truly showcase your talent!"
"I... I... Can I have some time to think about it?" Bale stammered.
"Of course!" Perales smiled.
"Give me ten minutes."
With that, Bale stood up and walked to the restroom.
Perales was taken aback. He thought Bale would need more time—at least a few days. But he didn't expect... only ten minutes?
Barnett sighed. "That's just how he is. He'll make a decision quickly."
Van der Vaart beside him also smiled.
Ten minutes later, Bale emerged from the restroom.
He said firmly, "I've decided."
Spain, Madrid.
Florentino Pérez's estate.
"That's the situation. Bale has agreed. Now, we have plenty of room to maneuver."
Perales stood to the side, reporting. In front of him, two people were crouching.
It was yet another grape harvest season.
Florentino Pérez, wearing a straw hat and farmer's clothes, was harvesting grapes.
Beside him, Suker crouched.
Suker held a bunch of grapes, popping them into his mouth one by one. When he finished, he'd extend his hand, and Florentino would hand him a freshly picked bunch, which he'd continue munching on.
"So, Levy was trying to hid the news, planning to renew the contract first and then demand a higher transfer fee, right?" Suker said, spitting out the seeds.
Perales glanced helplessly at Suker and nodded.
The only one who could act so boldly on Florentino's estate was this guy.
Florentino handed him a tissue.
"Don't spit the seeds on the soil. I still need to plant more."
Suker took the tissue and looked up. "With this move, isn't Bale furious?"
"He's very angry!" Perales smiled. "So, he's also seeking a transfer."
Hearing this, both Florentino and Suker smiled.
Suker patted Florentino on the shoulder.
"Old man, Levy's move just saved you a lot of money!"
Old... old man?
Perales' eyes nearly popped out.
But Florentino didn't seem to mind and said cheerfully, "Indeed, it saved quite a bit. I was planning to take out a bank loan, but it seems I won't need to now."
Suker finished the grapes, stood up, and clapped his hands.
"Not eating anymore?"
"No, they're a bit sour."
Florentino nodded. "They'll sweeten up in a while."
"Won't happen." Suker shook his head. "Sweetness depends on the temperature difference between day and night. With Madrid's consistent weather, you won't grow sweet grapes."
"I use them for winemaking. I don't need sweet grapes."
"But I want to eat them!"
"Then go buy some yourself!"
Suker spread his hands and shrugged.
Florentino supported his knees as he stood up, rubbing his sore back. "Then let's begin. Notify the media to release the prepared news."
"Bale already knows," Perales said.
Suker smacked his lips, displeased. "Don't you get it? Whether Bale knows isn't the point. The point is whether the public knows Bale was deceived!"
Florentino turned to look at Suker with an appreciative expression.
Perales suddenly understood and nodded. "I'll go prepare right away!"
Watching Perales leave, Suker couldn't help but shake his head.
No wonder they're the North London duo!
Their moves are getting wilder!
Speaking of notification clauses, there's a famous meme.
£40,000,000 + £1!
This was when Arsenal, desperate for a striker, learned that Suárez, then at Liverpool, was willing to leave.
At the time, Suárez's notification clause was set at £40 million!
To ensure Liverpool notified Suárez, stingy Arsenal offered £40 million + £1.
The message did reach Suárez, but it utterly infuriated the Uruguayan.
After all, the offer looked like a pure insult.
Put yourself in his shoes—even adding £10,000 would feel awkward, but £1 was just pure provocation.
Although Arsenal later claimed it wasn't their final offer but merely a signal to start negotiations, it angered Anfield and the Uruguayan, completely terminating the talks.
Now, Spurs were being even more excessive. Clearly, there was a notification clause, and the offer met the threshold, yet they didn't notify the player.
What followed was predictable: Real Madrid's usual tactic of media manipulation and massive public opinion campaigns.
Coupled with internal pressure from Bale, Levy and Spurs were completely in the wrong.
This was an extremely outrageous move.
In fact, Real Madrid could even further drive down the price. Levy had truly shot himself in the foot.
That evening, news spread across Europe.
Soon, "Spurs Conceal Real Madrid's Offer, Trick Bale into Renewal" became a trending topic.
After the news broke, The Sun reported:
"Bale's agent, Barnett, stormed into Spurs' offices in a rage overnight to confront Levy!"
This was followed by a post from Bale on his personal social media account:
"I am very sad. I thought we trusted each other enough to be open and honest. Clearly, some people don't see it that way."
"I have been treated as a commodity here. They tried to use this method to inflate my price. I can't imagine what would have happened if I had signed the new contract."
"I am very disappointed and even beginning to doubt what my efforts and sacrifices until now were for..."
Bale's post further enraged Spurs fans, who already disliked Levy, viewing him as a stingy and exploitative owner.
This incident confirmed their suspicions.
Thus, massive protests began.
The season had just ended, and it should have been a quiet period, but Spurs were thrown into chaos.
The pressure from public opinion, protests, and fan fury left Spurs struggling to cope.
Spurs chairman Levy even accused someone of deliberately creating the public opinion.
But the evidence was right there in black and white.
Levy had failed to control Bale.
Since Bale hadn't signed the new contract, he had the courage to stand up to Levy.
Reading these reports, Suker couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Good thing we didn't let Luka go to Spurs."
It's easy to join Spurs, but leaving? Levy would skin you alive.
In the original timeline, Modrić also had to make a fuss and endure lengthy negotiations and compromises before finally escaping at great cost.
But now, Bale had exposed the scheme early, making things less complicated
(Note : Such Great timing tbh Spursy)