Real Madrid's move for Bale could be hijacked by Man United or PSG

Tottenham Hotspur have received offers from more than one club for Real Madrid target Gareth Bale, according to reports.

Gareth Bale was given two days off to fly to Spain, presumably to finalise a move to Real Madrid. Matthew Horwood / Getty Images
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LONDON // Tottenham Hotspur received offers from more than one club for Real Madrid target Gareth Bale, according to reports.

Bale has been widely expected to complete his long-awaited move to Madrid this week for a world-record fee of around £85 million (Dh486.9m).

The Wales forward missed Tottenham's 1-0 win against Swansea City on Sunday after being given permission to fly to Spain over the weekend, reportedly to finalise details over his switch to the Bernabeu.

But, with a week remaining in the transfer window, it now appears that Madrid is not the only possible destination for Bale, 24, who was crowned England's Footballer of the Year last season after scoring 26 goals in all competitions.

Reports claim Tottenham have been approached by at least one other club with a firm bid for Bale, leading to speculation that Manchester United or Paris Saint-Germain might try to steal him from Madrid's clutches at the last minute.

PSG are backed by Qatari owners who have already spent millions on transforming the French club into a European force, while United manager David Moyes is desperate to make a marquee signing after a frustrating summer in the transfer market.

Meanwhile, Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas said Sunday that he expected Bale back at the club's Enfield training ground.

"Monday is a day off, Tuesday is training, so I would expect him to be there," he said.

"We have allowed him two days off.

"It's not the first time this has come up. We never force non-selected players to come to our games. I decided that last season.

"There is interest from Real Madrid. Whether the transfer will happen or not, hopefully you will have more news in the next couple of days, but at the moment there is nothing I can tell you."

Despite the new development, Madrid remain strong favourites to complete a deal for Bale, with pictures from inside the Bernabeu last week showing a podium being erected to present the player to fans and the media.

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