Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie Redknapp thinks Gareth Bale's transfer to Real Madrid is inevitable.
"Gareth Bale wants to go and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity from his point of view, so it will happen. I've always believed the deal will happen eventually," Redknapp said, according to ESPN.
Redknapp did note that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has been trying his best to delay the transfer process and possibly get the most out of the deal from Real Madrid.
"This is fun time for Daniel, he will be loving it, and I feel sorry for the Real Madrid people having to deal with him," said Redknapp. "You are pulling teeth when trying to negotiate with Daniel. Every pound note is a prisoner with Daniel and he will make it so difficult to do this deal. He will try to sell Real Madrid players he doesn't want as part of the deal, doing everything he can, Daniel is the master at this."
"[Levy] will try to take this down to September the 2nd if he can. He did it with Luka Modric and even though he kept him the first summer (when he was a target for Chelsea in 2011). I remember speaking to my Dad at the time and he told me it was a nightmare," he said.
Redknapp said that despite the club's desire to retain Bale, the sport was ultimately a business and the bottom line is king.
"At the end of the day, this is all about money. You look at the deals they have done in the past near a transfer deadline and Daniel gets the money, but look at the points they drop because of it and that could be the difference between getting into the Champions League or not," he added.