It was all but signed. A deal was agreed between Real Madrid and Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning for the transfer of Gareth Bale following a very public saga. Zinedine Zidane was quite clearly doing his best to banish the Welsh winger from the Santiago Bernabeu dressing and China looked to be his only escape route.
Of course, the deal that would have seen Bale earn a staggering £1 million a week fell through and the 30-year-old was left stuck in the Spanish capital. From his point of view, this represented something of a victory. While Bale was understandably angry and frustrated at his treatment, he still wanted to play for Real Madrid.
The dynamic has shifted somewhat since then. Bale has forced his way back into the first team fold, once again becoming a key figure for Real Madrid over the first few weeks of the new season. Indeed, two goals and two assists from six La Liga appearances represents a decent haul.
But now it seems that Bale’s future in the Spanish capital is a hot topic again, with reports emerging that the Welshman now wants to leave Real Madrid. There’s no real suggestion of where he could end up, but now the situation has been flipped with Zidane keen to keep Bale and the player himself eager to leave.
“I think you play with a lot of emotion and anger comes into it of course, but I am just trying to play football, to enjoy it as much as I can and give my best, whether I am here or in Madrid,” Bale explained while on international duty with Wales this week. “Whenever I step onto the pitch I give 100% to help the team and I will continue to do that.”
But is Bale giving 100% to earn himself a move elsewhere or is he playing to keep his place at the Santiago Bernabeu? For the first time in a while, he is in a position of power. China was his only potential destination over the summer, but his early season form will have surely convinced some European suitors to make a move should he make himself available.
The latest twist of the saga concerning Bale’s future in Spain could see Real Madrid refuse to sell him just months after doing everything in their power to ensure he never set foot in their dressing room again.
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