A pinch point arrived last May on Spurs’ post-season tour to the Bahamas which was also used as an opportunity for Villas-Boas, Levy and the club’s owner Joe Lewis, who lives on the islands, to meet. Top of the agenda was Bale’s future, with Villas-Boas urging the club to keep him for one more year – and add Hulk and Villa to create a new forward line. Villas-Boas wanted that evolution – not a revolution – at Spurs in the playing staff but was also pushing for off-the-pitch changes, including the hiring of Baldini and the overhaul of the medical department. The signings were rejected and, of course, Bale was sold to Real Madrid for £85 million but only, in fairness, after he had pushed for the move. Spurs held talks with Manchester United, who were willing to pay £100 million and might also have taken Adebayor, but Bale was adamant that he only wanted to go to Madrid.