The true transfer fee Real Madrid paid to sign Gareth Bale has reportedly been revealed via leaked documents.
Back in 2013, Welshman Bale left Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur to sign for Spanish La Liga giants Madrid.
Prior to Bale's transfer, Madrid splashed out a reported £83 million to bring in Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.
As reported by The Mirror, Madrid president Florentino Perez stated that Ronaldo had cost more than Bale.
However, it was believed that Perez's comments were made for political reasons.
Back in 2016, apparent leaked documents showed that Bale did in fact cost more than Ronaldo.
The report stated that documents posted online by Football Leaks show that the total cost for Bale was actually €99,743.542, which at the 2013 exchange rate was £85,131,147.
It read: "The first installment of €24,935,895 was paid within 10 working days of the agreed sale. The next (also €24,935,895) was due by July 24 2014.
"The third (again €24,935,895 ) was due a year after that and the final installment of £21,282,787 is set to be paid on July 24 2016."
Gareth Bale in action for Real Madrid. Image: Getty
Gareth Bale in action for Real Madrid. Image: Getty
The fee to insure Bale was also leaked to be £78 million, with Perez reportedly saying: "Yes, sure. It's a life insurance, against accidents. Bale is insured for the amount he cost."
It was also suggested that Madrid would have had to pay Spurs £10 million if they decided to sell Bale back to the Premier League before September 1, 2015.
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The Mirror
Despite being a key player for the majority of his time in Madrid, Bale started to drop down the pecking order and was sent out on loan to former club Spurs in 2020.
Eventually, the Welshman ended his time in the Spanish capital in 2022, when he left to join Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC.
In total, Bale made 258 appearances for Los Blancos across all competitions, scoring 106. He also lifted five Champions Leagues and three La Liga titles, among other trophies.
Following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Bale announced his retirement from professional football.