SAINTS HOPING TO AVOID BALE SALESouthampton will reportedly offer Gareth Bale a new contract after turning down bids from a number of Premiership clubs for the highly-rated left-back.
The Championship club are thought to have turned down a £3million bid from Tottenham and a £5million offer from Manchester United earlier this week, according to The Sun.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle are also monitoring developments as the bidding war for the Wales defender hots up.
Saints chairman Michael Wilde values Bale at around £7million and is willing to make him the highest earner at St Mary's by offering him a new one-year contract extension, which will tie him to the club until 2009.
The teenager only has 18 months left on his current deal and if he refuses to sign a new contract then the club may be forced to sell him this month or risk seeing his transfer value drop dramatically in the summer.