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Bale: Paris Saint-Germain are a great club, but they don't compare to Real Madrid and Barcelona
10-Mar-2013 5:05:00 PM
The Tottenham star likened the Ligue 1 outfit to big-spending Premier League champions Manchester City, insisting they are not at the level of the Liga giants
Tottenham star Gareth Bale has acknowledged that while Paris Saint-Germain are a great club, they do not compare with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.The 23-year-old Wales winger has been in scintillating form for Spurs this season, scoring 21 goals in 34 appearances to propel Andre Villas-Boas' side to third in the Premier League and on the verge of the Europa League quarter-finals.
While PSG are one of the few clubs with enough money to entertain a summer bid for the star, Bale's latest comments suggest he would prefer a switch to Spain or Germany if he did decide on a move.
"PSG are a great team," he told French TV show Telefoot. "They have signed great players. They're a team to follow, a bit like Manchester City. [But] they are still not at the level of great clubs. Not like Bayern [Munich], Real [Madrid] or Barcelona.
"I grow up as a person and I hope to improve year after year. [Ryan] Giggs is the hero of my childhood. I watched him play as a kid. But today, [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi are the references."
Former Tottenham director Damien Comolli believes the French side will do what they can to tempt Bale to France, but suspects he will remain at Spurs for the time being due to his price and chairman Daniel Levy's operating tactics.
"I think that if PSG is aware that the player is on the market, I won't be surprised that they do everything in their power to sign him," he told Telefoot. "But today, there is a 90 per cent chance that he will stay at Spurs. I know the president [chairman] of Spurs and how he works. Only three or four clubs can afford [Bale] right now."
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