There appears to have been no movement whatsoever on the outstanding problem issue at Real Madrid this summer: Gareth Bale. All reports indicate the club are desperate to offload the Welsh forward in this window but the player has absolutely no intentions of leaving, and no other clubs are in a position to afford him.
Los Blancos have sanctioned a huge summer spend which has seen five first-team players added worth a total in transfer fees of €300m plus a mass increase in their wage bill. To date, only Marcos Llorente has left the club – joining Atletico Madrid in a €40m move – this summer, with Bale’s massive wages said to be severely restricting the club’s ability to do more business.
The former Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur winger scored 14 goals with six assists in 42 competitive games this season and has once again been linked with Italian giants Inter which has been the case on and off over the years, all the way back to when he scored a hat-trick at San Siro in 2010.
“The player has no intention of leaving Real Madrid and is ready to start next week preseason,” Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett told ESPN FC this week. “Bale has a contract until 2022 and will be available to Zidane.” The Welshman is said to be earning a whopping €15m per year salary at Madrid, who are growing increasingly desperate to get this off the books.
The Welsh wizard turns 30 next month and is not thought to be part of Zinedine Zidane’s plans at the Bernabeu, while the Madrid fans have turned on him. He has frequently been whistled by the fans and his form has nosedived in recent months, while he appears to have drifted even further apart from his teammates. He has been criticised for a perceived lack of effort in terms of integrating with the squad – not going for club dinners and a seeming reluctance to learn Spanish.
His notable lack of prominence in first-team affairs is sure to grow even greater next season – not only has playmaker Eden Hazard joined from Chelsea but Eintracht Frankfurt striker Luka Jovic will also play a key role, while Karim Benzema was the club’s star player last season. Vinicius Junior is sure to be handed a greater role in the first team while his Brazilian compatriot Rodrygo Goes has now joined too.
Madrid are desperate to sell a player who has no desire to depart.
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