Gareth Bale has been cleared to join Real Madrid after Tottenham agreed to a world record £86million deal with the Spanish giants on Sunday night.

Chairman Daniel Levy signed off on the deal following talks with directors in the boardroom at White Hart Lane. Levy also was in talks with Bale's agent Jonathan Barnett and Tottenham director of football Franco Baldini after agreeing on the deal.

Bale's transfer is to beat Real's previous world record of £80m which Real paid to Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009. It also brings to an end one of the most protracted transfer sagas in the history of the game following a summer of talks.

Bale originally told the Spurs chairman he wanted to leave during a tense meeting at the Barclays Asia Trophy at the end of last month.

By that time the Spurs winger was well aware Real were determined to buy him this summer after losing out to Barcelona for Brazilian wonderkid Neymar.

That sparked weeks of endless negotiations which have finally been brought to a conclusion.

Last week Madrid revealed a hint that they would be expecting Bale in the near future by reserving the vacant No.11 shirt for the Tottenham midfielder.

The No.11 previously was held by Ricardo Cavalho last season, but with his departure for Monaco the shirt remains vacant.

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