Fabio Capello has acclaimed Gareth Bale as the outstanding footballer in the Premier League at present. The England manager has the same admiration for the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder as Internazionale, who are expected to make a £40m bid for him in the summer. An approach by the Real Madrid manager, José Mourinho, is also feasible.
Capello was already speaking about Bale in glowing terms shortly before the possible transfer of the Wales international had been raised. "He is my player of the season so far," said the Italian.
"For me he is a fantastic player because when you prepare for a game you have to prepare to defend when he receives the ball. He is a big explosion, physically. But he is also so good technically. Every pass, every cross, every time, he is dangerous. He is so dangerous for opponents because he runs so fast with the ball."
That combination of pace and control explains a valuation that would set a new transfer record for a British player, far outstripping the £29m that Manchester United paid to take Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United nine years ago. Inter, of course, have a particular, if painful, appreciation of Bale following his hat-trick against them in the Champions League match at San Siro in October, when Tottenham lost 4-3.
The ability to make such an impression for a side that had been 4-0 down while facing, in Maicon, one of the best right-backs in the world, gave Bale a new status. While the Inter president Massimo Moratti's appreciation of the midfielder is well-known, it seems unlikely that even a £40m offer would appeal to Tottenham at this stage in the side's development.
Bale, despite his current back problem, continues to be critical to the standing of a club that has the intention of establishing itself as a regular presence in the Champions League. The income from long-term participation in the tournament is great enough to make it seem rash to do anything that would jeopardise qualification for it. This campaign is the side's first appearance in the competition's modern form.