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Three MEPs call for financial probe into Gareth Bale's transfer deal

By AFP and Alex Williams

Thursday 18 February 2016 08:01, UK

Gareth Bale of Real Madrid (L) poses with his new jersey next to Real Madrid's President Florentino Perez during his presentation at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on September 2, 2013.
Image: Gareth Bale was presented as a Real Madrid player in September 2013

Three members of the European Parliament have written to the European Commission asking them to investigate Gareth Bale's world record transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in 2013, amid accusations of illegal state aid.

British Conservative Party member Daniel Dalton, Belgian vice-chair of the committee on economic and monetary affairs, Sander Loones, and Ramon Termosa, of the Spanish Convergencia party, have raised concerns that Spanish banks - bailed out by European taxpayers - provided guarantees for the transfer fee.

A leaked report from whistle-blowing website Football Leaks revealed last month that Bale cost in excess of 100 million euros despite Madrid previously insisting the deal was worth 91 million euros.

"Promissory notes were issued to Tottenham Hotspur, which subsequently seem to have been sold on to Spanish banks, which have now ended up assuming the risk for Bale's record-breaking transfer fee," read the question form signed by all three MEPs.

Gareth Bale celebrates scoring for Real Madrid
Image: The exact cost of Bale's fee has been the subject of continued speculation

"Is it correct to state that bailed-out Spanish banks were offering promissory notes to Tottenham to act as a guarantee, thereby indirectly putting the liability on the Spanish and European taxpayers?"

In 2013, Dutch MEP Derk Jan Eppink claimed one of the banks involved in the agreement was Bankia, which had been bailed out to the tune of 18 billion euros by the European Stability Mechanism.

Gareth Bale has suffered niggling injuries for much of the season
Image: Bale moved to the Spanish capital from London three years ago

"This would indirectly transfer the cost of the transfer to European taxpayers constituting illegal state aid," Tremosa added in a statement.

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Dalton told Sky Sports News HQ: "Our question really is to find out whether it is state aid. If it is taxpayers money that can't really be used to fund one club over others.

"We are asking them to investigate. We are not saying it was illegal."

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has previously rejected claims that a Spanish bank helped finance the purchase of Bale.

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