Gareth Bale is officially a Real Madrid player. After a protracted chase, the La Liga side have their man -- and although by this point everyone knew that Tottenham Hotspur would before the transfer window closed on September 2nd, it's nice to have it all wrapped up now.
Gareth Bale officially joins Real Madrid
OFICIAL: Gareth Bale es nuevo jugador del Real Madrid. #halamadrid
— Real Madrid C. F. (@realmadrid) September 1, 2013
Current rumour has the transfer fee at €100 million, the new world record transfer fee, although Real are currently denying that Bale, 24, cost more than Cristiano Ronaldo did when they acquired him from Manchester United. Right now, it's not clear how Bale will fit into the Madrid lineup, although there will certainly be some fallout, with both Mesut Ozil and Angel di Maria looking far more expendable than they did this time last year.
Spurs, of course, have already spent the bulk of the Bale money, acquiring the likes of Erik Lamela, Roberto Soldado and Christian Eriksen as they build a new-look team for manager Andre Villas-Boas.
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