A few months ago, Tottenham could not dream of selling Gareth Bale. Now, they are happy to see him go.
Spurs officially announced a transfer to Real Madrid on the club's official Twitter account:
Throughout the summer, Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas and other executives claimed their top player was "not for sale," via David Kent of the Daily Mail.
This mindset made sense, as the 24-year-old midfielder had proven himself not only to be the best young player in the Premier League, but one of the best overall. He scored 21 league goals last season, which accounted for almost one-third of the team's 66 goals.
Losing him would prove devastating for a squad that was only one point away from qualifying for the Champions League last season.
However, the thought process has slowly changed over the past few weeks, and not just because of this picture courtesy of Adidas:
Instead, it was this news by Joe Prince-Wright of NBC Sports that made the difference:
Due to some excellent negotiating by chairman Daniel Levy, Tottenham brought in about £85 million that will be used to build a great team for this year and the future.
Before the start of the season, the club added veteran goalscorers in Paulinho and Roberto Soldado. The latter already has two decisive goals in 1-0 wins to start his EPL career and could end up being one of the top strikers in the league.
Additionally, Tottenham added two 21-year-old players this week to help prepare for the future, according to the club's official Twitter account:
Erik Lamela could directly take over for Bale as a scorer from the midfield who can rip long shots when he sees an opening. He totaled 15 goals and five assists last season in Serie A and is certain to get only better with experience.
Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen has already competed with the best as the youngest player at the 2010 World Cup. He also had four assists in six matches in the Champions League last year. He tends to get pushed around a bit, but he will be a force on the attack as he grows physically.
These two young players would not only help replace some of Bale's production right away, but they could each end up being as good as the Welsh star. With these two on the pitch at the same time, it is clear that Tottenham are in good shape for the future.
Fans never like selling top players, as it shows they are second tier compared to whoever is buying. However, it eases the pain when the club is able to reinvest in the roster, which is exactly what the Spurs were able to do.
Finally, the players who remained at White Hart Lane throughout this mess are playing as well as ever as they try to show they are more than just one man. The controversy has become a rallying cry, and the squad has been exceptional on both ends of the pitch.
Despite Bale's obvious talents, getting rid of him could end up being the best move in the Premier League this offseason. It has led to the creation of a more complete roster that will finish high in the table this season and many more in the future.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.
rehab Massage St Albans">sport sport medical
