Transfer Centre

Fabio Coentrao "thinking about leaving" Real Madrid

By Joe Fish, Reporter | 12 August 2013

Tottenham's potential swoop for Fabio Coentrao is boosted by Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti revealing that the Portuguese left-back is considering his future with the club.

Reported Tottenham Hotspur target Fabio Coentrao is weighing up his future at Real Madrid, manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed.

The Portuguese full-back had been touted as a possible makeweight in Gareth Bale's potential move to the Santiago Bernabeu, but Spurs are now reluctant to sell the Welshman to Los Blancos due to concerns over their ability to pay the £85m asking price in one instalment.

Instead, Lillywhites manager Andre-Villas Boas is apparently planning a £13m cash offer for Coentrao, who often found himself second-choice to Brazilian Marcelo on the left side of Real's defence last season.

Angel di Maria, another Madrid player linked with Spurs, has insisted that he will remain with the La Liga giants, but Tottenham have been boosted by the news that Coentrao is considering his future in Spain.

Ancelotti told a press conference: "Coentrao is thinking about leaving, it's his decision, he's a very good player."

Villas-Boas currently has Danny Rose and Benoit Assou-Ekotto as his left-back options, but the latter is expected to leave White Hart Lane this summer after a poor finish to the 2012-2013 campaign.