Certainly not the English press. In February alone Bale has been linked with a £30m move (possibly rising), a £50m move, and a £70m move this summer. In fact according to the last report Real Madrid are only going to start the bidding at £70m – who knows where that fee could end up?
And at the turn of the year Spurs apparently planned to tell Real that he was not available for less than £60m.
Confused? Don’t blame you.
But working on the basis that a player’s price is what a club are prepared to pay for him, we asked our Eurosport colleagues on the continent what they thought Bale was worth at present, who is in a position to bid for him, and where they thought he’d be playing his football next season:
SPAIN
What’s he worth? €40m (£34.5m)
Who could get him? He’s been repeatedly linked to Barcelona and Real Madrid since 2010, but the links are stronger to Real this season because a major squad overhaul is in the pipeline should Jose Mourinho leave – and Bale could adapt more easily to Real’s system than Barcelona’s
Where will he be next season? Real Madrid – Florentino Perez will want to mark this summer’s election with a huge transfer
Cristian Maxedo, Eurosport Spain
RUSSIA
What’s he worth? €50m (£43m)
Who could get him? Only Anzhi Makhachkala or Zenit could afford him, but both have good options on the left wing, so they will pursue other targets
Where will he be next season? Tottenham
Igor Zelenitsyn, Eurosport Russia
GERMANY
What’s he worth? €55m (£47.4m) – but only because he’s tied in to a long contract. He’s unproven because he hasn't done it at a ‘big’ club yet.
Who could get him? Bayern seem interested – and money is not an issue. They could easily afford him.
Where will he be next season? Real Madrid
Tobias Hlusiak, Eurosport Germany
FRANCE
What’s he worth? €40m (£34.5m)
Who could get him? The only club who could raise that kind of money is Paris Saint-Germain – but they are not interested
Where will he be next season? Tottenham
William-Alexandre Proust, Eurosport France
ITALY
What’s he worth? €50m (£43m) – if Lucas [who joined PSG in January] is worth €45m, Bale is worth more...
Who could get him? At the moment, no Italian club has that kind of money
Where will he be next season? Bayern Munich – especially if Arjen Robben moves on
Alessandro Brunetti, Eurosport Italy
POLAND
What’s he worth? €45m (£38.7m)
Who could get him? Nobody in Poland...
Where will he be next season? Still at Tottenham
Bartosz Rainka, Eurosport Poland
MIDDLE EAST
What’s he worth? £40m
Who could get him? It’s not how things work in the Middle East. We’ll start thinking about a club signing him once he reaches 38 years old...
Where will he be next season? Real Madrid
Hussam Barakat, Eurosport Arabia
SO HOW MUCH IS BALE WORTH?
For now, if Bale is to leave the Premier League, then most of Europe reckons somewhere either side of £40m is a realistic fee. Don’t trust those inflated price figures, and don’t rule out the possibility that with Champions League football on offer at White Hart Lane Bale will commit to another year at Tottenham.
