Gareth Bale Reportedly Subject of Possible £85 Million Bid from Real Madrid

Real Madrid reportedly is set to offer £85 million for Tottenham midfielder Gareth Bale, according to John Drayton of the Daily Mail.

With superstar Cristiano Ronaldo linked to his former club, Manchester United, per Drayton, it's speculated that Bale would help replace the legend in due time. The 23-year-old posted 21 goals and four assists in 34 games for Spurs in the 2012-13 Premier League campaign.

On June 1, Jason Burt of The Telegraph reported that Madrid was trying to acquire Bale for £60 million. Tottenham reportedly guaranteed that it wouldn't sell the youngster at any price.  

However, if Drayton's report is accurate, it's going to be mighty difficult for Spurs to pass up such an offer. That is an incredible amount of money, and it's highly unlikely that Tottenham thought it would ever receive such a deal when it declared it wouldn't sell.

The reported move by Madrid also speaks to the pressure on club president Fiorentino Pérez, who is hoping to make a big signing as he seeks a replacement for manager Jose Mourinho with Ronaldo possibly on his way out.

Madrid is hoping to wrestle the La Liga title back from Barcelona. Barcelona won La Liga by 15 points this past season, matching Madrid's record points total from 2011-12. Armed with Lionel Messi, Barcelona has been a tough customer in recent years, winning four of the past five La Liga championships.

Tottenham finished fifth in the Premier League this past season, one point outside of the Top Four. Arsenal made a strong push at the end to eclipse Spurs.