8. Gareth Bale (Tottenham)
Gareth Bale’s rise over the last few years has been phenomenal. Starting off as something of a laughing stock for the club, he is now considered one of the best players in the world. The Welsh winger has something of a Cristiano Ronaldo feel about him, exciting crowds with his tricks, dribbling and exceptional technique with long range shots and free kicks. After lighting up the Premier League this season with 21 goals, he was crowned double Player of the Year by both the Professional Footballers’ Association and the Football Writers’ Association, and is now being lined up as the next ‘Galactico’ signing by Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Real are said to be willing to make him the second most expensive player of all time with a massive offer to Tottenham of £65million. Spurs are understandably keen to keep the 23-year-old, who has almost single-handedly won games for the team this season as they narrowly missed out on a Champions League place. His ability to win games with a moment of magic out of nowhere obviously make him incredibly valuable on the pitch in terms of winning points, and the money made from the star player’s shirt sales is also an important asset to the North Londonders. They are said to be willing to offer him a massive £150,000 a week to remain at White Hart Lane, but Real Madrid have also said they can beat that offer if they sign him. The Spurs star also recently signed a lucrative three-year sponsorship deal with BT to appear in their adverts and work for them as a guest pundit.