Real Madrid have revealed another hint that they are soon to expect Gareth Bale to join them this summer with their reservation of the club's No.11 shirt free for the midfielder should he arrive from Tottenham.
The No.11 previously was held by Ricardo Cavalho last season, but with his departure for Monaco the shirt remains vacant.
The Bale transfer saga has dragged out all summer and it appears to be coming down to the wire with Tottenham being reported to have been said to be unhappy with Real's proposal to pay for Bale in annual installments divided over six years.
Bale has been reported to be frustrated with the Spurs and is currently taking the silent approach when dealing with the club. Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed that Bale is not even discussing his future with his Tottenham teammates as the club grow increasingly closer to selling him.
Villas-Boas said: "His mental state nobody knows because the player doesn't speak. The only thing that we are able to see is the player arriving in and out of the training ground. It's fine."
Villas-Boas has already ruled Bale out of contention for their opening three games of the season, while chairman Daniel Levy is determined to take strong stand despite Bale doing everything possible to push a transfer through.
"Obviously he is very far off regarding his fitness compared to the others. So it will take some time to bring him back to the level that the others are after six weeks. But the player is a super athlete," added Villas-Boas.
"We've been very, very clear with everybody regarding the player and our willingness to hold onto him. But obviously in football anything can happen in the end.
"However, this is a player we cherish a lot and who has helped us progress. Ideally we want to continue with him.
"We are aware that Real Madrid are interested. But it doesn't mean that we are willing to negotiate about him."
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