Soccer: High noon approaches as Real Madrid close in on mega deal for Bale

Real Madrid want Gareth Bale to make his home debut a week on Sunday against Athletic Bilbao because the midday kick-off would maximise the global television audience watching his first game in Spain.

Club president Florentino Perez sees Bale as the man to help promote Real in Asia and the Far East and coinciding his debut with the club's first global audience-friendly time slot is seen as the perfect way to launch their new image outside of Spain.

Perez must now hope that Daniel Levy finally confirms acceptance of the club's offer for Bale. Reports on Sky Italia suggested Tottenham director of football Franco Baldini was in Madrid yesterday to finalise the deal to sell Bale.

Tottenham's imminent signing of Brazilian forward Willian has brought Bale's departure closer. Spurs head coach Andre Villas-Boas confirmed yesterday that the club were in advanced talks with Anzhi Makhachkala over the signing of the forward for £30 million ($59.7 million).

"There is interest in the player and there have been conversations," Villas-Boas said ahead of Tottenham's Europa League play-off against Dinamo Tbilisi this morning.

The acquisition would take Spurs' spending to £90 million with Villas-Boas declining to comment on the prospect of adding Roma midfielder Erik Lamela to the list of recruits.

The signing of Lamela may rest on whether Tottenham accept Real Madrid's Fabio Coentrao as part of the Bale deal. Real Madrid are understood to be offering the Portugal international as part of a €120 million ($204 million) offer.

Final negotiations over Coentrao's wages, should he ultimately form part of the deal, will be the last hurdle to be crossed by the two sides who have agreed on a four-year payment plan.

Having only been involved in one of Spurs' pre-season friendlies and having missed out on international duty last week it seems unlikely Bale would be involved in Real Madrid's next game, away against Granada on Monday, even if he signed in time. But six days later Madrid play Athletic Bilbao and, in keeping with Perez's grand plan to make Bale "pay for himself", the player would be set for a very global debut.

With Spain's domestic demand on the slide the global market, specifically the Far East, is being prioritised by clubs.