Is Real Madrid’s €100 million Gareth Bale deal a financial folly?

How Gareth Bale will fit in at Real Madrid remains the biggest talking point

But while Bale’s talent is beyond question, it remains to be seen how he will fit into Real Madrid’s tactical setup.

There is much excitement surrounding the prospect of Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo lining up on opposite flanks, but the two players are hugely similar in their attributes, raising question marks about whether Bale’s signing will make Real Madrid one-dimensional.

Both Ronaldo and Bale are players that need space to perform and like to build up a head of steam while attacking, whether the final intent is to shoot, pass or dribble. Neither player is particularly adept in crowded situations

Bale has stated several times that he has consciously modeled his game and development on that of the Portuguese star. But in doing so, he may have picked up some of Ronaldo’s (admittedly few) flaws.

Teams will quickly learn that the best way to frustrate Real Madrid will be to sit back, crowd the defensive area with players and deny Ronaldo and Bale the running space they need to build up momentum and lay siege to goal.

While this is unlikely to be too much of an issue in the Champions League – where the big teams like to take their game to their opponents thereby leaving space at the back – it may hamper Real Madrid in their domestic league when they come up against minnows who are happy to sit back, defend in numbers and play for a draw.

And in the two-horse race that is La Liga, a handful of dropped points can be the difference between winning the title or seeing your arch-nemesis win it.

Therefore the big question appears to be not whether Real Madrid’s outlay on Bale was somehow unethical, but whether it was a smart move.

Bale’s growing pin-up status, likeable personality and the inherent charm of a Cardiff boy wearing the no. 11 shirt for Real Madrid will mean nothing if he doesn’t deliver the goods on the pitch, particularly in the Champions League.

In the event of failure, Bale won’t have the security of past glories to sustain his image as Kaka did. Bale’s face will not adorn billboards in New York and Tokyo if he is a grand flop in Madrid. There will be no more Esquire cover shoots, only cover stories in Marca and AS lamenting €100 million wasted on an over-hyped player.

But if the big-eared boy from Cardiff helps deliver the big-eared trophy to Real Madrid, the pay-off will be enormous.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the football