5 stars who signed a new contract...and then left the following summer

#4 Gareth Bale

Real Madrid CF v Real Betis Balompie - La Liga — Contracts don't mean a lot when Real Madrid come knocking - just ask Gareth Bale

Despite signing with Tottenham Hotspur way back in the summer of 2007, he didn’t begin to rise to fame until two seasons later in 2009/10. After appearing 24 times for Spurs and never being on the winning side, Bale’s fortunes began to change when then-manager Harry Redknapp deployed him in a more attacking role than he’d been used to primarily as a left-back.

From there the Welshman went from strength to strength and he played a large role in taking Spurs into the Champions League for the first time in 2010/11. It was in the Champions League where Bale’s star truly rose – he destroyed Brazilian international Maicon over two games against Inter Milan, and then helped Spurs defeat AC Milan in the last sixteen of the tournament.

Unsurprisingly, he was immediately linked with moves to basically every big European side you could possibly think of, but by 2011/12 he was still at White Hart Lane. And to confirm his loyalty to the club, in the summer of 2012 he inked a new four-year contract. The contract apparently gave Bale a big bump in pay as well as a new squad number – #11, not #3 anymore.

Bale stated that he wished to take Tottenham back into the Champions League, but Spurs fans were dreaming if they thought that would happen. Just a year after signing his new deal, Bale was off to Real Madrid for a world-record shattering transfer fee of around £85m.

It was a sad day for Tottenham but realistically Bale’s contract was never going to be completed – once a club like Real Madrid begins to sniff around a player it’s only a matter of time before they arrive at the Bernabeu, contracts are damned.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Akhilesh Tirumala