Bale could be the Real deal for Magpies

NEWCASTLE United would have a fair crack at signing Gareth Bale if their £300million takeover deal goes through.

The out-of-favour Real Madrid man at one stage had a clause in his contract which allowed his old club Tottenham Hotspur to be notified if the La Liga giants received an offer for the Wales international.

However, that 72-hour warning clause for Spurs expired last summer and Bale would be ready for a quick exit if he became available for Real’s asking price.

Of course, with the takeover still not completed, those in and around the takeover deal are playing down talk of a short-list of new targets in terms of players and managers.

However, a successful takeover for Amanda Staveley, the Reuben brothers and Saudia Arabia’s Public Investment Fund would see Newcastle in the same ballpark as some of the Premier League’s big guns in terms of finance.

One thing is also abundantly clear - they will want the very best for Newcastle should the deal get passed by the Premier League.

Bale’s name is the latest highprofile transfer target to be linked with the Magpies with sources in Spain claiming the takeover would see Newcastle swoop for the leftwinger.

At 30, Bale is not the red-hot property he once was but he would fit the bill for the first stage of Newcastle’s proposed action plan to get them back to the business end of the Premier League.

His £16million-a-year wages would blow the salary budget at Newcastle wide open with Jonjo Shelvey - who shares the same agent as Bale - currently on around £4million a year.

Yet a whole new era on Tyneside would see the end of pennypinching on the wages front and the club’s controversial age policy, which has often resulted in older players not being considered.

Spanish reports suggest Welsh international Bale is available at around £19million.