Real Madrid Transfer Rumors: Marcelo On The Move For Tottenham Hotspur Gareth Bale?

Real Madrid are slowly starting to turn their wheels for January’s transfer session, and are now looking into several moves to make way for Tottenham winger Gareth Bale.

Los Blancos are reportedly willing to splurge on a £56 million fee for the speedy 23-year-old, and have offered defender Marcelo to Chelsea for around £25 million to make room for him, according to The Daily Star.

This is not the first time Bale was linked to the Bernabeu. Back in October, Jose Mourinho’s side apparently offered to send midfielder Fabio Coentrao to White Hart Lane in another £50 million deal. Another report from the Daily Mirror in September said Los Blancos would have the first option to buy Bale.

The latest speculation comes on the heels of Bale’s comments earlier this month that he would be interested in a change of scenery.

“It would be nice to experience other leagues and other cultures,” said Bale, according to The Independent. “I’m not afraid to go abroad. If the time comes and a team that’s right comes in for me, then I’ll look at it seriously. I’ll see what happens.”

Bale’s market value is currently £35 million, but Madrid will probably have to pay more since he signed a four-year extension with the Spurs in the summer.

But Los Blancos certainly don’t want a repeat of their protracted negotiations with White Hart Lane that eventually brought Luka Modric to the Bernabeu for £30 million in August. That deal dragged on for more than a month, with Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas sending Modric home to train because the speculation became a distraction to the rest of the club.

After spending one year with Southampton, Bale transferred to Spurs in 2007 and has scored 27 goals in 127 appearances.