Real selling Bale shirts as record transfer looms

Media reported that Real Madrid put shirts bearing the name of Wales winger Gareth Bale up for sale on Thursday as a world record transfer for the Tottenham player appeared to enter its closing stages.

Negotiations between the Spanish giant and Bale's current club Tottenham Hotspur over a potential record move are believed to be in advanced stages, but the 24-year-old has not yet made the move to the Bernabeu.

Leading Madrid sports dailies Marca and As published online screen grabs from the shop section of Real's website, listing Bale as the team's No 11 alongside pictures of the strips for sale.

The gaff was soon spotted, though, and the shop section of the site was inaccessible later in the evening.

Newspaper As said the online shop is operated by sports brand Adidas and not by the club itself.

Reports have been circulating for weeks that Bale will move to the nine-time European champion for a fee that could eclipse the 80 million pounds ($123.6 million, 93.2 million euros) Madrid paid Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.

Spanish media said on Thursday an announcement on Bale's signing may come within hours.

Last year Real listed Croatian Luka Modric as a player on its site before signing him, also from Spurs. The club blamed hackers for that mistake.

Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas refused again to be drawn into speculation over Bale's future.

"I am not able to comment on anything; that has been my tone since the start of the season and I will not change that," said Villas-Boas after his team's 5-0 win over Dinamo Tbilisi in the Europa League on Thursday.

(China Daily 08/24/2013 page15)