Ajax director Marc Overmars shares surprising information about Real Madrid ace Gareth Bale

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The Arsenal alumni used the ex-Tottenham man, who remains linked with Spurs, to compare the financial disparity between Ajax and Real.

Ajax director of football Marc Overmars has claimed that Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale earns the same as the Eredivisie outfit’s entire squad.

Los Blancos, the Champions League winners for the past three seasons, were sensationally put to the sword at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night as Ajac ran out 4-1 winners.

After winning 2-1 in their last-16 first leg at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, Real were favourites to complete the task on their own patch, but it wasn’t to be – and how.

Hakim Ziyech, David Neres, Dusan Tadic and Lasse Schone struck, while Marco Asensio scored what turned out to be a mere consolation for Santiago Solari’s charges.

Bale’s future at the Bernabeu is currently in doubt due to the relationship between him and the fans, with respected Spanish football journalism Guillem Balague having told BBC Sport that “they do not see him as one of them”.

Speaking prior to the game, Overmars – a former Arsenal player – spoke about the financial disparity between his Ajax side and Real, using Bale – a former Tottenham Hotspur icon who remains linked with the club – as an example.

“Our wage budget for the 1st, 2nd and youth team is 28 million. That’s as much as Gareth Bale earns in a year. What Real Madrid pays for one player is used for our entire squad,” Overmars is quoted by Dutch outlet VI as saying.

His comments were corroborated by Telegraaf journalist Marcel van der Crane in comments to BBC Sport: “Marc Overmars, the technical director of Ajax, the former Arsenal winger, was explaining today that Gareth Bale, on his own, has exactly the same in wage package per season as the entire Ajax squad.”

While Spurs haven’t been explicitly reported to want Bale back, a recent report in The Mirror suggested Real were hoping to utilise him in a part-exchange for Christian Eriksen, while some pundits, including Spurs legend Clive Allen, have urged the club to make a “massive statement” and go for him (talkSPORT).