Bale saga is almost at an end

Big clubs set for a frantic last day of the transfer window.

Tomorrow promises to be the most frantic day of transfer activity ever as the constipated summer market finally explodes into life.

Before the window shuts at 11pm, England’s biggest clubs are expected to do business. Big business.

They’ve been able to sign players for two months, yet major players like Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle have spent nothing.

They are now like the husband who delays buying his wife’s present until just before the stores shut on Christmas Eve.

Either she ends up with what’s left on the shelves or he pays over the odds because he’s left it too late to shop around.

It’s no way to construct a playing squad in an era when clubs invest so much time and money on state-of-the-art academies and sports science and operate on budgets bigger than some small countries.

This transfer window has been unusual because it’s been dominated by some of the biggest names in the game, yet for once the clubs have dug in their heels and stood up to player power.

Chelsea’s pursuit of Wayne Rooney failed because Manchester United viewed it as stupidity of monumental proportions to sell such an influential player to their biggest rivals.

Liverpool refused to let Luis Suarez join Arsenal for the same reason and United themselves found they couldn’t buy Cesc Fabregas just by snapping their fingers.

The Gareth Bale deal has turned into a saga. Don’t worry, if you missed an instalment, the box set will be available soon!

Tottenham’s Chairman Daniel Levy has been the real star of the transfer window. He’s spent the Bale money he knew was coming on half a new team. He could give lessons to those doing the negotiations elsewhere.

Having been frugal for years, Arsenal announced they’d splash the cash, but only two free transfers had arrived in the first 61 days of the 63-day window.

Newcastle’s new Director of Football Joe Kinnear boasted of his powers of recruitment, but Alan Pardew could have a weaker squad come Tuesday than he had at the start of the summer.

You can bet the Sky Sports reporters will be camped outside training grounds up and down the country tomorrow trying to capture the drama.

Arsene Wenger won’t be hanging out of his car window updating us and it’s unlikely we’ll see Rooney turn up at Stamford Bridge Peter Odemwingie-style trying to force through his move.

But Arsenal, United and Newcastle fans will hope that when the studio switches to their club, the reporter isn’t standing there like a lemon saying: “No activity here.”