Coentrao's Hopes of Joining Tottenham Hinge on Bale Completing Madrid Move – Report

Real Madrid left-back Fabio Coentrao is determined to engineer a move to Tottenham Hotspur after failing to hold down a regular first team place in his two seasons at the Bernabeu.

The Portuguese defender has made just 36 league appearances since joining from Benfica in the summer of 2011, despite Madrid spending some €30m to acquire his services.

Now Spanish newspaper Marca is reporting that Coentrao has made it clear that he favours a move to White Hart Lane where he would work with compatriot Andre Villas-Boas.

The Tottenham manager is believed to be an admirer of the left-back and has reportedly urged chairman Daniel Levy to sanction an offer in the coming days.

While there was a suggestion that Coentrao could be used as a makeweight by Madrid in a possible agreement for Gareth Bale, it seems a separate deal would be the most likely outcome as Spurs instead try to land 20 year old striker Alvaro Morata as part of any deal for the Wales international.

Numerous reports have suggested that Levy will meet with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in Florida later this week and it seems likely that Coentrao may well be part of the discussions.

Tottenham are desperate to keep hold of Bale but may eventually find it difficult to turn down a world record offer that would allow Villas-Boas to make numerous signings before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

The north London club may well feel the need to sign a new left-back as Villas-Boas handed Benoit Assou-Ekotto limited opportunities last season, while Danny Rose has yet to fully demonstrate his ability at White Hart Lane.

It is believed that Madrid would seek around €25m for Coentrao, a figure that Chelsea have baulked at but which Tottenham would be prepared to match using the funds from the sale of Bale.