“If Bale can leave today, that would be better than tomorrow.” A brutal statement made by manager Zidane last year, which could be even more of an objective in the coming transfer window.
The Welshman’s departure has become one of the club’s main priorities this summer, perhaps the foremost on a long list of players that Madrid is hoping to offload.
At Real Madrid they are aware of the need to pull in cash in the first transfer market after the coronavirus pandemic by getting rid of the players that Zidane doesn’t rate, and Gareth Bale is at the top of a list that also includes the James, Mariano, Ceballos, Odriozola and others. Real Madrid, like many other top clubs says that it is far more urgent to sell than to buy.
So Gareth Bale once again looks to his future to which there are only three options: Miami, Newcastle or staying at Real Madrid.
For the club, the departure of the Welshman this summer is a priority, but for the himself has said time and again that would have no problem fulfilling his contract and leaving for free in 2022.
The first option for Gareth Bale, although by no means the simplest, would be to go to Newcastle United, who are on the verge of a multimillion-dollar project in the hands of new owners, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund led by Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. Only the final approval of the Premier is yet to be obtained at which point the club will change hands for an amount close to 400 million euros.
Newcastle will then become one of the richest clubs in the Premier league. Bale could be the franchise player that they need, with Pochettino rumoured to be replacing Steve Bruce.
The second option for Gareth Bale would be to accept a proposal from Inter Miami, Beckham’s club in MLS, which would see him embark on a completely new adventure, but one that would also see departure from elite football. But earning double the amount of the club’s top player there would have to be significant downward movement in his salary which is still far too high for football in the United States.
The third path open to Bale is to stay at Real Madrid. Both the Welshman and his agent have repeated in public – and in private to the club itself – that they have no intention of leaving Madrid until their contract ends. So it would appear that Bale would have no problem staying until 2022 and then leaving for free.
On a reported weekly wage of €350,000 it’s a difficult call to make for the 30 year old.
