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Transfer news: Former Tottenham captain Ledley King insists squad will be ready for the new season despite Real Madrid pursuit of Gareth Bale

King claims that the squad will be determined to kick-start their quest to return to the Champions League with or without Bale

Jack de Menezes
Friday 09 August 2013 14:38 BST
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Ledley King and Gareth Bale
Ledley King and Gareth Bale

Former Tottenham captain Ledley King is adamant that the squad will be in the right frame of mind to get off to a good start once the new season begins despite the obvious distractions of Gareth Bale’s proposed transfer to Real Madrid.

Tottenham kick-off the new season next weekend away at Crystal Palace, although whether or not Bale will still be with the club remains in the balance as Real Madrid attempt to secure the winger for a world record transfer fee.

King saw a number of players come under intense interest from other clubs during his time at Spurs such as Luka Modric, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick, and they all eventually left the club to further their careers.

The former central defender believes though that the rest of the squad will be focused on getting Spurs back into the Champions League with or without Bale.

"At this time of the season, you are not sure what's going to happen," King said at the launch of the club's new interactive online game Tottenham Turfies.

"I'm sure every club is the same. As players you learn to deal with that.

"You just get your head down and concentrate on performing your best for the team and that's what the players will be doing."

Manager Andre Villas-Boas has spoken previously of his desire to see the transfer window shut before the Premier League season gets underway, identifying the disruption caused by last minute moves for his players behind his reasoning.

Villas-Boas has moved early to bring in Brazilian midfielder Paulinho, Belgian Nacer Chadli and Spaniard Roberto Soldado and strengthen his squad, and it is a belief that King agrees should be implemented in the near future.

"Once you get to the season, you ideally want to know the team you are going to be working with," said King.

"We've had it before where players have gone a week or two after the season and players have come in. It can work against you. Ideally it would be better if things could be sorted out before the first ball was kicked."

Reports in Spain suggest that Spurs’ chairman Daniel Levy will meet with Real’s president Florentino Perez to negotiate a move in Miami later today, where Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid squad will meet Chelsea in the final of the International Champions Cup.

Levy has been on holiday in Florida, but Spanish newspaper AS are reporting that the two will meet to officially discuss terms that would see Bale move to Spain.

Although Ancelotti has been reluctant to speak on the matter, club captain Iker Casillas has said that should Bale make the move, he will be welcomed into the squad.

"We still don't know if it's official or not,” admitted Casillas. “There has been a lot of talk about it in the last few days, just like in every pre-season.

"Last year it was Modric and now it's 'the Bale saga'. The president and Jose Angel Sanchez (Real's director general) always do everything to try and bring the best players to the club. The current squad is complete in every area but if a player like Bale comes along, he'll be welcomed."

However, the north London club were focusing on different matters as they attempted to nurture the next generation of football stars by launching what they claim is the first digital interactive online game for children to be developed by a football side.

King gave his approval to the game by saying: "It's a terrific game that brings kids closer to the club they love and their idols.

"These kids are the future fans, so it's important to give them the support and the interaction they need."

Tottenham Hotspur Club Ambassador Ledley King today launched Tottenham Turfies, the world's first fully-interactive children's game created and developed by a football club.

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