Roberto Soldado: 'Gareth Bale will be hard to keep'

Tottenham Hotspur's latest signing Roberto Soldado has admitted that the club may struggle to keep hold of star player Gareth Bale.

The Spaniard, who will become Spurs' most expensive capture when he completes his £26m switch, said that he hopes the Welsh winger remains at White Hart Lane despite Real Madrid's ongoing efforts to sign him.

"I think everybody knows about Gareth Bale. He's a great player. It will be hard to keep him but I hope he stays with Tottenham," Sky Sport News quotes him as saying.

Real are believed to have tabled an £85m bid for Bale, with coach Carlo Ancelotti recently confirming that negotiations between the two clubs are under way.

Bale is reported to have expressed interest in the move.