#Sport# Tottenham Considers Fining AWOL Bale As Madrid Move Edges Closer.

Keeping Contact: Gareth Bale Has Refused to
Return to Tottenham’s Training.

Tottenham Hotspur will consider fining Gareth Bale after the Welshman refused to show up for training for two consecutive days, according to the club’s manager Andre Villas-Boas.

Spanish giants Real Madrid have been basking in the euphoria of a prospective world-record £86m move for the forward, who arrived White Hart Lane in 2007 for £10m, and a supposedly ‘Gareth Bale’ stage- where the player will be unveiled- has been reportedly erected at the Estadio Santiago Benerbeu.

“At the moment the two clubs are speaking,” Villas-Boas said at a news conference ahead of Thursday’s Europa League tie with Dinamo Tbilisi.

“I’m not sure how much time it is going to take. It can happen very soon, it might not happen so soon. I suppose it could go to the last day or it could happen next two days. But you wouldn’t expect the biggest transfer in world football history to happen easily.”

However, Bale, 24, who was due to report back to training on Tuesday after spending the weekend in Marbella, Spain, has acted contrary to that.

“He is involved in a big transfer move to Real Madrid and in the end if it happens, we wish him all the best, but the fact that he hasn’t turned up is not the correct behavior.”

That is the position they chose to take and it’s up to the club to decide if it’s a fineable offence. It could happen very, very soon.

Spurs have been linked with Roma’s Argentinean forward Eric Lamela, after missing out on Brazilian Willian- who has joined Chelsea on a five-year contract- and are reluctant to sell until they have signed a replacement.

“We will continue re-strengthening the squad,” Villas-Boas added. “We’re looking a different positions to make us stronger.”

A foot injury has prevented last season’s PFA and Young Player of the Year from featuring for Spurs and has not played any international fixture, though has been named in Wales’ squad for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Macedonia and Serbia.