Swansea city coach Michael Laudrup has taken a logical and
pragmatic approach to evaluating whether or not Real Madrid paid over the odds
in signing Gareth Bale this summer.
Los Blancos paid out
between €90m and a world record €100m in the final days of the transfer window
to secure the Welshman’s services from Tottenham.
Ex Madrid’s attacking
star was asked of the deal, as he was back in Spain this week preparing with
Swansea for their Europa League tie at Valencia.
“A player is always
worth what a club wants to pay,” Laudrup commented to reporters.
“And in this case there
has been a club that wanted to pay that much, so he is worth it.
“You and I can name a
price, but then if a third party does not want to pay it, the player is not
worth it.
“In this case, yes,
because a club has paid it.
“Bale is technically
very good. How well he does depends on the expectations generated and for that
you have to ask the people of Madrid, for example, what number of goals would
gauge the success of his move?
“That depends on the
club that has signed him.”
