Why PSG is not the right move for Gareth Bale

With PSG being linked with a £85m bid for Gareth Bale, is it really a good move for the Welshman?

PSG won Ligue 1 last season and were knocked out by a Lionel Messi-led Barcelona team in the last 16 of the Champions League. For the PSG owners this was a decent season and must be improved on next season. Carlo Ancelotti has been linked heavily with a move to Real Madrid and the bookies favourite to take his place at PSG is Andre Villas-Boas. AVB might be tempted to PSG by the huge sums of money available to bring in new players, with Bale being a top target. Bale has been priced at £85m but is he really worth that sum?

Is he as good as Ronaldo? Maybe £85m is more of a statement to other teams in Europe than the true value of the player. With the huge price tag comes huge responsibility for Bale and he will have to adapt to a new league and most likely a new position. With Bale in a new position he may not be as productive as he has been for Spurs. When Bale first started for Spurs he was a left back but Harry Redknapp put him on the left wing which put him in the headlines as he destroyed the best right back in the world at the time, Maicon, against Inter Milan.

When AVB took over at Spurs he placed Bale just behind the forward in an advanced midfield role. He then tried Bale on the right side of midfield to have a Messi effect for the team. Now, Bale is deployed as a free role player and hovers just above the midfield line. If Bale was to join PSG he would most likely be placed on the left wing as Lucas Moura would be on the right. Lavezzi and Pastore are the main playmakers at PSG and even though Bale is as good or maybe better than those players, he will have a battle on his hands to get the spot behind Ibrahimovic.

Bale is best when he is a free role player and can collect the ball from deep and attack the box. PSG would have to switch their tactics around to fit a player in this role. On the left, Bale is good player but for £85m it would be a slight waste for PSG. It’s like asking Ibrahimovic to play in centre midfield. He would be good but not half as brilliant as when he is in central areas.

At White Hart Lane, Bale is king and has the freedom to express his unbelievable talent. Under the influence of tactical genius Andre Villas-Boas, Spurs and Bale have both grown. If they want to upset the big 4 in the Premier League then having Bale in the side is the direction they need to take. Spurs could replace Bale with any number of players but when a player fits perfectly into your tactics then why sell? Manchester United have yet to replace Ronaldo and have been through a few tactical changes to get the best out of the remaining squad. This would happen at Spurs if Bale was to leave. Bale is only 23 so could stay for a year and then make a move if he feels the time is right.