Bale’s new deal is a boost for managerless Tottenham

TOTTENHAM’S manager will take charge of a squad including Gareth Bale after the Wales winger yesterday signed a new four- year contract.

Andre Villas- Boas, the former Chelsea boss, is favourite to replace Harry Redknapp, who departed White Hart Lane two weeks ago.

The Portuguese will welcome the chance to work with Bale, a player valued at £ 40million and coveted by Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City among several other European heavyweight teams.

Despite Spurs’ failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League, the 22- year- old has decid- ed to commit his future to White Hart Lane until 2016.

“The club is progressing and I want to be a part of that, so it was great to get the deal done,” Bale ( pictured, right) told Tottenham’s website.

“I’ve been here for five years now and I’ve enjoyed every minute,” he said. “The fans have been great to me and I’d love to re- pay them and do the very best for them.

“The club is progressing and I want to be a part of that, so it was great to get the deal done.

“I love the club and the fans and I want to play my part in trying to get us back into the Champions League – where we belong.

“We have a good, young squad and we need to work together to get back on the biggest stage.”

A pressing concern for Redknapp’s successor will be resolving the future of Luke Modric, who has been strongly linked with a transfer to Real Madrid.

But the pain of losing Modric will be less acute now that Bale, a £ 7million signing from Southampton in 2007, has committed his future to Spurs.

Hopes of signing Jan Vertonghen are fading, however, due to a clause in the Belgium defender’s contract with Ajax.

Vertonghen is entitled to 15 per cent of the agreed £ 9.5million transfer deal under the terms of his deal with the Dutch champions.

Ajax have indicated their reluctance to honour the clause and while the 25- year- old still seeks a move to Tottenham, he is resigned to staying in Amsterdam.

“This is a shame. I thought that it would be sorted out much sooner,” he told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

Completing a busy day at White Hart Lane was Vedran Corluka’s transfer to Lokomotiv Moscow on a three- year deal, according to the Russian club.