Gareth Bale to leave Real Madrid in coming days as Zinedine Zidane confirms transfer talks with unnamed club
Bale could leave as early as Monday after being left out of Madrid’s pre-season friendly againsty Bayern Munich because ‘the club are working on his departure’
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Your support makes all the difference.Gareth Bale could leave Real Madrid as early as Monday after manager Zinedine Zidane revealed they are in talks with an unnamed club to sell the Welshman.
The Independent revealed last week that Madrid president Florentino Perez has suggested to Zidane to bring Bale back into the squad as their summer transfer plans were being hampered by the inability to sell the 30-year-old.
But after Zidane made it clear that Bale is not going to play any part in his plans for the season ahead, the club have pressed on with negotiating his departure and he was left out of Madrid’s pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich on Saturday as a result, which Zidane explained was due to “the club working on his departure”.
Bale has been strongly linked with a move back to the Premier League, although interest from Manchester United has died down over the last 12 months due to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s preference for younger players to regenerate his squad, though former club Tottenham Hotspur remains a possible destination.
The Frenchman also said he hopes a deal for Bale can be struck soon "for everyone's sake".
Zidane, whose side were beaten 3-1 by Bayern, said in quotes reported on his club's official website: "He wasn't included in the squad because the club is working on his departure and that's why he didn't play.
"We'll have to see what happens in the coming days. We'll have to see if it goes through tomorrow, if it does then all the better. Let's hope, for everyone's sake, that it happens soon. The club is dealing with the club that he'll move to."
Bale joined Real for a then world-record £86m from Tottenham in 2013 and, despite being hit by a series of injuries, has helped the Spanish powerhouses win four Champions League titles, LaLiga and a host of other trophies.
However, his future at the Bernabeu has been the source of plenty of speculation in recent times, with the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham, Bayern and Inter Milan among the clubs having been linked with his services.
Zidane did not reveal where Bale's possible destination might be but said: "The situation will change and it's for the best for everyone."
The Frenchman also insisted he has "nothing against" 30-year-old Bale, who has not always been an automatic starter under Zidane at Real.
Zidane added: "It's nothing personal. There comes a time when things are done because they need to be done.
"I've not got anything against him. We have to make decisions and change things, that's all there is to it. You're aware of the situation and there'll be a change to it. I don't know if this will happen in 24 or 48 hours' time.
"The situation will change and it's for the best for everyone. That's how things go.
"I speak with the club, we've got decisions to make and it's a decision that's been made by the coach and the player. Let's see how things play out."
Additional reporting by PA
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