It's Official! Gareth Bale cost Real Madrid more than Cristiano Ronaldo

A 'Football Leaks' report, which has since been accessed by other publications, officially puts Bale's transfer as the costliest in the history.

New Delhi: It's one of the worst kept secrets in sports. There were claims that Gareth Bale's move to Real Madrid in 2013 eclipsed that of Cristiano Ronaldo's move from Manchester United four years ago, and that the Welshman's deal was a world record.

Except the rumours, there was no official confirmation of that being true. However, a recent 'Football Leaks' report, which has since been accessed by other publications, officially puts Bale's transfer as the costliest in the history.

The revelation has caused an outrage in Spain, with more details emerging, including how Madrid Real kept the fee secret to appease Ronaldo, their undisputed star.

Real have always claimed the Bale deal was worth €91.59 million, with Ronaldo's fee eclipsing that at €96 million, but the leaked documents have reported that Bale’s fee amounted to €100,759,418 after they opted to pay Tottenham Hotspur in installments rather than up front.

Reacting to this revelation, Bale's agent Jonathan Barnett has called for an investigation, saying these reports are “outrageous”.

“There should be an inquiry and an independent investigation … I think it’s disgraceful that people can get hold of this sort of stuff. It shows complete disregard for both clubs and the player,” Barnett told the Telegraph.