The Gareth Bale transfer saga takes another turn after Zinedine Zidane expresses hope that the player might leave soon.
One of the worst kept secrets in world football is Real Madrid actively shopping Gareth Bale in the hopes of finding a suitor to take him off their hands. Zinedine Zidane divulged that the player did not play against Bayern Munich because he is very close to leaving and that they hope he leaves soon.
Zidane is usually not so open with his comments. His press conferences tend to be quite dull with the Frenchman giving routine answers so as not to rock the boat. The fact that he is so open about Gareth Bale’s future, or lack thereof, speaks of the rift between the two and that he does not count on him for next season.
As expected, his comments have not gone unnoticed. Suffice it to say, Jonathan Barnett, his agent, was not happy with the comments and did not pull any punches.
According to Sports Illustrated, he said, “Zidane is a disgrace to speak like that about someone who has done so much for Real. If and when Gareth goes it will be because it is in the best interest of Gareth and nothing to do with Zidane pushing.”
While a possible destination for Bale is still unknown, the plan continues to be to find a team willing to take him on one way or another. The writing was on the wall for the Welshman when Zidane returned late last season. He rarely featured in games and made just a handful of appearances as a substitute.
All that being said, The Independent report that Florentino Perez suggested to Zidane to bring Bale back to the squad because their inability to sell him was hampering their summer transfer plans. However, Zidane was having none of it.
It goes to show the influence that Zidane currently wields at Real Madrid. In a matter of speaking, he now has more influence than the club president. It should not be much of a surprise considering what he accomplished in his first stint as manager and the situation he inherited. At the moment, he can do no wrong and one must assume getting rid of players like Bale was contingent upon his return.
As it stands, Gareth Bale has more than just one foot out the door at Real Madrid. His departure is simply a matter of when, not if.