Tottenham to Cut Wage Bill by £17m by Offloading Seven Players – Report

Tottenham Hotspur will allow seven first team players to leave the club this summer in order to cut their wage bill and offer Gareth Bale a significant pay rise.

The Daily Mail reports that Spurs are determined to stave away interest from Real Madrid in the star forward and are willing to almost double his wages in an attempt to convince him to stay at White Hart Lane, by cutting their own wage bill by £17 million.

Bale is believed to earn around £110,00-a-week on his current contract, but reports suggest that Tottenham are now willing to offer him a deal that would see him become by far the highest paid player at the club on close to £200,000-a-week.

In order to be able these improved wages reports state that up to seven players will be allowed to leave in the summer, with the most high profile being Emmanuel Adebayor, Tom Huddlestone and Beoit Assou-Ekotto.

David Bentley, who earns around £50,000-a-week is expected to leave the club after falling out of favour in recent seasons, while William Gallas' contract expires next month and Spurs will not attempt to negotiate a new deal.

There has been much speculation about the future of Adebayor after a difficult season in which he failed to replicate the form that saw him finish the previous season as the club's top scorer.

Assou-Ekotto has also been heavily linked with a move to big spending French side Monaco, while Huddlestone made it clear earlier this year that he would consider his future if there was no guarantee of regular first team action.

Third choice goalkeeper Huerelho Gomes is also likely to leave in the coming months, while the Mail reports that Tottenham will also listen to offers for Jake Livermore.

Should Spurs allow these players to leave then manager Andre Villas-Boas will also be keen to bring in new arrivals, as well as making sure that Bale remains at the club.

Tottenham have been heavily linked with a move for a top class striker after missing out on Internacional's Leandro Damiao in the January transfer window and they may well resurrect their interest in the Brazilian forward.