According to the Sun, Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are ready to offer Gareth Bale an escape route from Real Madrid through a one-year loan deal.
The 29-year-old Welsh winger has now spent 6 seasons with Real Madrid but has not really managed to live up to his exorbitant price tag.
Real Madrid made him the most expensive player in the world in 2013 when they splashed out £86 million to sign him from Tottenham. He’s provided some stunning moments in the famous white shirt – his spectacular overhead kick in the 2018 Champions League final comes to mind – but Bale has always been a maligned figure at the Bernabeu.
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In his first 5 years at the club, Bale was always under the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo, even though he scored some very crucial goals for Madrid in their run of 4 Champions League titles in 5 seasons.
He had the perfect opportunity to become a marquee figure for the club when Ronaldo departed for Juventus last summer, but found it very hard to fill his illustrious colleague’s shoes.
He’s struggled with plenty of injury issues throughout his spell in LaLiga, which has prevented him from firmly cementing his place in the Los Blancos’ starting XI.
Zinedine Zidane reportedly does not want Bale for the upcoming 2019/20 campaign. Real Madrid has already signed the likes of Luka Jovic and Eden Hazard, which will only make it much harder for Bale to get regular game time.
At this point, his departure looks inevitable, either on a permanent or loan deal. However, Florentino Perez is keen on recouping as much of his initial £86 million fees as possible, and that has deterred clubs like Manchester United from making a concrete offer.
Bayern Munich has been in the market for a new winger, with club legends Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben leaving the club at the end of last season. They’ve been extensively linked with a move for Leroy Sane, but Manchester City seems to be determined to hold on to the 23-year-old.
It now looks like Niko Kovac is ready to turn to a more short-term option in Bale, who will turn 30 in July.
For the Welshman himself, it seems like a logical move. He has a better chance of playing regularly in Munich, and the move also offers him a chance to escape what seems to be a toxic atmosphere every time he steps out on to the Madrid pitch.
The entire deal now seems to hinge on Real Madrid’s willingness to let Bale leave for a lower fee.