“A one man team!”, they cried as Tottenham Hotspur were carried to the brink of Champions League qualification by Gareth Bale last season. With 21 league goals and seven assists, the Welshman kept Spurs in the hunt for Europe right until the very end of the season, where his sublime strike against Sunderland was in vain as Arsenal clinched fourth place.

Given his stunning season, it’s no surprise that Bale has been strongly linked with Manchester United and, more prominently, Real Madrid. So why, having been so important to Andre Villas-Boas’ side, should they sell the 24 year old?

Bale’s seemingly imminent move to Spain is speculated to be worth £78 million plus Portuguese full back Fabio Coentrao. Not only does Coentrao offer a marked upgrade over Benoit Assou-Ekotto, but the gaudy transfer fee should make Spurs a stronger side through reinforcements, and hopefully shake the undermining “one man team” tag.

Twitter has been abound with rumours and gossip throughout the day, with Spurs ready to sell Bale and move quickly to bring in replacements. They appear to be on the verge of sealing the signing of former Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Willian from Anzhi Makhachkala for a whopping £30m, stealing a march on Liverpool, who have recently been linked with the Brazilian. The capture of a long-term Villas-Boas target would take the White Hart Lane club’s summer spending to over £90m – but it may not even stop there.

Erik Lamela, Roma’s Argentine forward, is also attracting Tottenham’s interest and with another £30m bid in the pipeline, it seems almost certain that their new found affluence is down to Bale’s impending departure.

With a true goalscorer in Roberto Soldado finally captured, Spurs look like a team ready to test the might of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea this season. The midfield has seen an overhaul, with Scott Parker, Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore all offloaded to make way for Paulinho and Etienne Capoue. Villas-Boas’ squad was evidently stretched towards the end of last season as juggling a Europa League campaign and a fourth placed challenge proved too much to manage, so bringing in better depth is a wise move.

A bright young manager looking to improve on a strong first season now has the money to spend to build his team. Whilst Bale’s departure is a blow not only to Spurs but to the Premier League, it could just be the best transfer Spurs will make for many years.

***What do you think? Should Tottenham sell Gareth Bale? Will the Welshman’s departure strengthen Spurs in the long term? Comment below and get involved!***