On the eve of Wales’ UEFA Nations League tie against Finland, talisman Gareth Bale has spoken out about his torrid time in the Spanish capital in a damning interview.
Bale has remained silent during the post-lockdown fixtures, as Real Madrid wrapped up the La Liga title while Head Coach Zinedine Zidande seemingly shunned the Welshman.
But Bale has finally broken his silence in an interview with Sky Sports, where he said he is open to a return to the Premier League and claimed his move to China was blocked at the last minute.
TIME TO GO?
“If those options arise it is something I’d look at for sure.” the 31-year-old said to Sky Sports, when asked about a possible transfer.
“We’ll see what happens, we have plenty of time in this transfer window and a couple of others as well. Time will tell but mainly I think the reason is that the decision is in Real Madrid’s hands.’
The situation is all the more frustrating for Bale as he has repeatedly expressed his desire to leave the Bernabeu, but has been blocked from doing so despite not being given game time.
Could this finally be the year Bale leaves? Well, the prospect is very exciting for not only people who watch the Premier League, but especially Wales fans.
Bale has not made 30 or more league appearances since 2014/15 and while he has had injury problems, he claims he is “still in great shape” and is hungry to play regular first team football.
“I want to play football, I am still motivated to play, so I guess it’s on the club. They are in control of everything. I have a contract, all I can do is carry on what I am doing and hopefully something comes up.”
He featured in just one of his sides last eleven matches and was pictured laughing as Zidane opted not to bring him on in a win over Alaves in mid-July.
Having only made 16 league appearances for Los Blancos this season, Ryan Giggs and Wales fans will hope that he can get a move to a top-six Premier League side where he can fit right into the first team.
With a major tournament coming up for Wales, Bale would benefit from going into it with a run of first team games, with a tough group of Italy, Turkey and Switzerland.
MOVE COULD BENEFIT ALL PARTIES
Everyone knows about Bale’s undoubted ability, and despite not being 100% match fit he always comes in for Wales and delivers, but the potential of Bale playing for Wales after a season of playing week after week is very exciting.
Bale said: “I tried to leave last year and they blocked everything at the last second. It was a project I was excited for but it didn’t materialise.
“There have been other instances where we have tried to go but the club won’t allow it or they have done something.” – which shows Bale has remained keen to leave over the last few years.
His contract runs until 2022, but a transfer at this stage would suit all parties.
At 31, Bale would still have a healthy market value in the eyes of the Real Madrid hierarchy, and getting him off the wage bill would allow them to reinvest in a replacement.
Meanwhile, Spurs need to bounce back strong in the 2020/21 season after dropping out of the top four following their Champions League Final defeat the season before.
Finally, Bale is clearly unhappy in Madrid and has lost the passion of playing for one of the world’s biggest football club, which is understandable after the way he has been treated by Zidane and the fans.
Ryan Giggs’ main man saw a dream come true when he joined the Spanish giants for a world record fee in 2013, he is now involved in a long-running saga that has turned into a tug of war over his future.
(Featured Image: Lewis Mitchell)
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