The Daily Mail has reported this morning that Tottenham winger Gareth Bale, who scored twice in the Premier League clash on Monday to sink West Ham, was offered to the Irons in 2009- but the club turned the chance down. At the time, Bale was struggling to make an impact at White Hart Lane after a £7 million move from Southampton in 2007 and the North London club opted to cut their losses, and offered the Wales man to the Hammers for a cut price of £3 million. However, West Ham were struggling financially at the time, prior to David Gold and David Sullivan's purchase of the club in January 2010 and so passed the opportunity by. The paper's correspondent Sami Mokbel also claims that the Irons were "one of a number of clubs, including Nottingham Forest and Birmingham, who were presented with the chance of signing Bale," who was then plying his trade as a full back as opposed to a winger.
This is certainly an interesting story but; unsurprisingly given it's the Mail; it is not backed up with any quotes or any cited source. It might be true; it might not- but, as ever, it makes one ask questions of the paper. Even if it were true, there's not much point our dwelling on it. Bale was well out of form at the time; hence why Spurs wanted rid, and it would have taken a manager of exceptional insight and vision to see the star that lay beyond the rubble. It wouldn't be the first time a West Ham manager has missed a trick with a great young prospect who would go on to be a superstar- the 18 year old Andriy Shevchenko once had a trial at the Boleyn Ground; and current Hammers striker Andy Carroll, a potential signing for the princely sum of £17 million this summer, was linked with the Irons in summer 2009 for a reported fee of £4 million..
By Alex Shilling, News Editor
@alexshilling
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