Tottenham will have a battle on their hands to keep hold of prized asset Gareth Bale after Real Madrid were linked with a sensational €70million move for the attacking midfielder.

Bale has been the subject of much speculation in recent months after a string of impressive performances that has seen him become one of the most influential players in the Premier League.

Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale continued his excellent form against Liverpool as he was involved in both Spurs goals. [Reuters]

He has scored 21 goals in all this season and has helped Tottenham climb to third in the league as they seek to secure Champions League football for next season. Bale has also played a crucial role in the Europa League where he opened the scoring in the 3-0 win over Inter Milan.

The Wales international has been virtually unstoppable in recent times and it seems as though his form has once again caught the attention of numerous clubs from across Europe.

Spanish publication Marca believes that Real Madrid are prepared to make a huge offer of €70million in the summer and would hand Bale a five-year contract worth in excess of €11million-a-year.

Madrid will be desperate to challenge for the league title next season as Jose Mourinho has all but given up on retaining La Liga this year as they currently sit some 14 points behind runaway leaders Barcelona.

Tottenham are hoping that they can match Bale's ambition to play regular Champions League football and under the guidance of Andre Villas-Boas they look like securing a top four finish this season.

However, the draw of playing for a huge club like Barcelona or Real Madrid may prove difficult for the 23-year-old to turn down. Much as it did for former Spurs midfielder Luka Modric who eventually joined the Spanish champions last summer.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is reportedly willing to double Bale's wages in order to keep him at White Hart Lane as he does not want a similar situation to the one that saw Modric essentially force through a move to Madrid.

Bale's form has clearly not gone unnoticed with players in Spain as Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique admitted that he is "an unbelievable player with all the conditions to play in the team that he wants to".

The former Manchester United defender also suggested that he was a "good fit" for Real Madrid but added that he felt he could also "play here [at Barcelona] too, definitely".

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