It is time to fire up the Gareth Bale transfer market options again. Rumours this week have emerged that the Welshman’s current club Real Madrid are prepared to let him go in the summer. For free.
These rumours were sparked by Spanish newspaper Marca who boldly claimed that Real boss Zinedine Zidane doesn’t want Bale in his squad for next season. Given the saga at the club between these two, that’s not exactly shock news.
Gareth Bale Next Club Odds*
Man United – 7/2
Tottenham – 5/1
Any Chinese Club – 5/1
PSG – 8/1
LA Galaxy – 10/1
Chelsea – 12/1
Juventus – 12/1
Inter Miami – 12/1
* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes at 20:17 GMT on March 18th 2020)
A crazy turnaround
Last summer it looked as if Bale was heading off to play in the Chinese Super League for Jiangsu Suning. However, Real Madrid pulled the rug on the deal because of the Chinese club not paying a transfer fee for Bale.
At that point, Real wanted money for Bale, who has never really been in favour with Zidane. So they kept him around. But twelve months on, are they prepared to wash their hands of any transfer fee thoughts and just let him go for free?
Free transfer would save Real
Bale is one of the top earners in the world of football and takes approximately £350,000-a-week wages in his current role. Because of that, getting a club to shell out a big lump sum of money for him, while having to pay those kinds of wagers, didn’t exactly make Bale a great attractive sale.
Bale will still have a couple of seasons left on his contract at the Bernabeu after the summer. But according to Marca, Real Madrid would be prepared to let Bale go for free and save the money on those two years of high-wages that he is on.
It still leaves a major question as to why they didn’t do it last summer.
Spurs and Man Utd in the hunt
IF Real are prepared to let Bale walk, then that is likely to really raise the interest of certain Premier League clubs to go and get his signature. Manchester United were moved into 7/2 favourites with Ladbrokes to be Gareth Bale’s next club* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes at 20:17 GMT on March 18th 2020).
Bale’s former club Tottenham are 5/1 to make a sensational reunion with the Welsh international* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes at 20:17 GMT on March 18th 2020). But that’s the same price as Any Chinese Club because Bale was ready to head there twelve months ago and could demand astronomical wages over there.
Gareth Bale has netted 105 goals in 249 appearances while netting 33 times for Wales over 83 games. He is a four-time Champions League winner as well with Real Madrid, the list of silverware from his time in Spain extending to three Super Cups, three Club World Cups, one Spanish Cup, one Spanish Supercup and the 2017 La Liga title.
