Real will go to world record 85m for Bale

Madrid president, Florentino Perez, looks to rejuvenate his underachieving squad with more multi-million pound names

Duncan Castles, The Sunday Times Published: 2 June 2013 REAL MADRID are ready to break the world transfer record with an audacious 85m swoop for Gareth Bale, as well as splashing out 40m on Luis Suarez. Combining the two Premier League stars with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema would then give Madrid the worlds first quarter-billion-pound forward line. Recruiting Bale and Suarez, who scored 44 Premier League goals between them last season, forms part of Florentino Perezs campaign to be re-elected as Madrids president. Perez started his second term by signing Kaka and then Ronaldo for worldrecord transfer fees of 56m and 80m, before adding Benzema for a further 35m. Seeking to mitigate the fallout from Jose Mourinhos decision to leave for Chelsea, the Spanish businessman has returned to a familiar strategy to secure his re-election for another term. Perez also needs to respond to Barcelonas success in signing the Brazil striker Neymar from Santos for 51m. He will fly to Spain to complete formalities after todays BrazilEngland friendly. Bara had held the option on Neymar since 2011 but Perez had hoped

to tempt him to the Bernabeu by spending up to 85.5m on the transfer, third-party ownership, penalty payments and signing-on fees. Landing Suarez should prove easier. The Liverpool striker admitted last week that it would be difficult to say no to Madrid, who expect to secure the player by invoking a 40m buyout clause in his Anfield contract. The Uruguay forward has long been frustrated by the relatively poor quality of Liverpools squad and was ready to push for a move if the club did not take steps to improve it even before he was suspended for biting Chelseas Branislav Ivanovic. The 10-match ban, his second long suspension in two seasons, led Suarez to seek a move. Barcelona or Madrid are his first-choice destinations, though Bayern Munich and Juventus have also shown interest. While Liverpools American owners are against selling their most valuable on-field asset, a recruitment strategy has been prepared that allows for Suarezs departure. The Celta Vigo striker Iago Aspas is one possible target and Liverpool are understood to have offered Sporting Lisbon an initial 3.6m for the Portugal under-20 centre-back Tiago Ilori. Liverpool said: Luis Suarez is not for sale. Neither Luis or his representatives have communicated these feelings [of wanting to leave] directly to Liverpool. The club remains supportive of Luis and expect him to honour his contract. The club will not be making any further comment at this stage. Tottenham say Madrids public wooing of Bale has changed nothing and that the club will keep their best players, though Bales representatives are keen on exploring the opportunity. Spurs will offer a new contract to the Wales star with an after-tax salary as high as 6.2m a year.