Bale Told To Consider Manchester Over Madrid If Tottenham Exit Looms

Gareth Bale should turn down the opportunity to join Real Madrid should he leave Tottenham this summer and instead consider moving to Manchester United or Manchester City, according to Glen Hoddle.

The Tottenham hierarchy have maintained that their talismanic Welshman will not be sold this summer amid growing Real Madrid interest, with Bale himself indicating he sees himself at White Hart Lane next season.

But following Real Madrid's official unveiling of Carlo Ancelotti as their head coach earlier this week, the La Liga giants are expected to now proceed with their grand summer spending plans now that their issues at management level have been resolved.

The club have already concluded a deal for Spanish starlet Isco since Ancelotti's appointment, beating Manchester City to the attacking midfielder in a £23m deal.

An official bid for Bale could now be imminent, after Real's club president Florentino Perez spent most of the early months of the off season indicating his club are interested in the former Southampton youngster's services.

Hoddle believes the 23-year-old is still best placed to continue plying his trade at White Hart Lane. But if Bale were to leave the club, the former England and Spurs manager believes he should remain in the Premier League, where his only realistic options would be the Manchester rivals.

"If he does move, I think he will settle easier at another club in England," Hoddle said, the Mail report.

"And the ones he can realistically join are Manchester United and Manchester City.

"He could get Champions League football there. But I want him to stay at Tottenham."

With the idea of British players swapping their home comforts for a move in a league elsewhere in Europe now a rarity, Hoddle himself knows all about plying his trade on the continent.

The midfielder spent four years with Monaco after his 12 year spell at White Hart Lane after English clubs were banned from playing in Europe in the late 80's, impressively taking to the continental style of football in France, winning a Ligue 1 title and a French Cup along the way.

While not adverse to seeing Bale following in his steps and moving abroad, Hoddle believes the Welshman should wait until later on his career to make the move.

"He is still young enough to secure a move abroad later in life when he could cope better with it," Hoddle added.