AVB critical of Real’s public pursuit of Bale

Andre Villas-Boas insists the only talks between Tottenham and Real Madrid regarding Gareth Bale have been to tell the Spanish club he is not for sale.

Bale has been linked with a world record transfer to Madrid, with reports of a deal worth up to £105 million being all but finalised, but Spurs manager Villas-Boas insists he is continuing to plan for the coming season with Bale in his team, while admitting to some frustration with Madrid’s very public pursuit of the Wales international.

“I think the rumours that anything is imminent are not true,” he said after Saturday night’s 5-2 friendly defeat to Monaco, before going on to criticise Real coach Carlo Ancelotti for publicly confirming that talks had taken place.

“We’ve allowed ourselves conversations with Real Madrid, confirmed by their coach I think wrongly, but the only thing we’ve communicated is that the player is our player and not for sale.”

Asked if he felt Ancelotti was in the wrong, Villas-Boas said: “I think so, in my opinion.

“Carlo is a person I appreciate a lot and we have great respect for each other, but bearing in mind this situation they have decided to make it public.

“Normally in situations like this in England it is scrutinised by the [Football Association] with lots of care and attention. We have seen lots of people speak about a player that is not theirs and we are due some respect.

“There are conversations because there is big, big respect between the clubs bearing in the mind the transfer last year [of Luka Modric] and the agreement last year of goodwill between the clubs. At the moment we are following from those instructions.

“But of the player, bearing in mind the investment you have seen at Tottenham recently, he is a player who is decisive for us. We are building a very strong team and we are building for a future with Gareth.

“In football, anything is possible but what we have communicated so far is that we are not willing to concede to their interest in the player.”

Bale has not featured for Tottenham during the pre-season, with a foot injury reported to have been the cause for his absence from the Monaco trip.

It is being reported that the player is unsettled amid Madrid’s continuing interest.

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refused to be drawn further on the protracted Luis Suarez transfer saga after watching former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba return to haunt his side with a second-half double to win the Emirates Cup for Galatasaray yesterday.

The Ivory Coast front man — who left Chelsea after spearheading their 2012 Champions League final victory before a short stint with Shanghai Shenhua in China — converted a soft penalty on 78 minutes before then producing a crisp finish as the Turks secured their second victory of the weekend tournament, having fallen behind to Theo Walcott’s first-half curling effort.

Arsenal showed good form in patches, but once again had no answer to the 35-year-old, who had been on Wenger’s radar when a youngster at Guingamp.

So far, France U21 forward Yaya Sanogo, a free transfer from Auxerre who was handed a start in attack yesterday, remains the Gunners’ only summer purchase, despite having a sizeable kitty with which to strengthen a squad that has not delivered a trophy for almost a decade.

As for Suarez, Arsenal are expected to increase their £40m plus £1 bid, which they believed would trigger the Uruguay forward’s release clause, although Liverpool remain adamant they will not sell — with manager Brendan Rodgers suggesting that £100m-rated Bale could not be “valued at more than 100% more than Luis Suarez”.

Meanwhile, Arsenal look set to offload both Ivory Coast forward Gervinho and Morocco striker Marouane Chamakh.

Wenger confirmed: “Gervinho is on a good way to Roma, and Chamakh on a good way to Crystal Palace.”