Former Napoli director reveals they tried to sign Gareth Bale in 2010 but ended up with Liverpool flop Andrea Dossena
Welshman moved to Real Madrid for world-record fee just three years later and is considered among best players in the world
AHEAD of Napoli’s clash with Real Madrid, a former director has claimed the club once wanted to sign Gareth Bale — and could have had him for as little as £8.6million.
But ended up with Andrea Dossena.
The freescoring Serie A side are among the most impressive team in Europe on current form, and have real hope of upsetting the odds and overturning the a 3-1 deficit.
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But, back in 2010, they were still trying to establish themselves among the best in the country.
And former Napoli director, Riccardo Bigon, told : “I will tell you one of my biggest regrets: Gareth Bale.
“[In 2010] we needed a left-sided player and at that time he was playing very little at Tottenham with [Harry] Redknapp on the bench.
“We could have signed him.
“He was very young, but the situation wasn’t right.
“We would have had to pay around £8.6m. What a shame.”
Later that window, Napoli signed Dossena from Liverpool instead.
The Italian actually stayed at the San Paolo for three years and proved a decent servant.
But Bale would be sold for a world-record £86m three years on and is considered among the best players on the planet.
Napoli welcome Real Madrid on Tuesday night hoping to overturn a 3-1 deficit and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.