Should he stay or should he go? The curious case of Gareth Bale.
When the world transfer record was broken back in 2013 by Real Madrid to sign Gareth Bale from Tottenham, the world seemed to be at the then 24-year-olds feet. The two time PFA Player of the Year in England had terrorised defences in the Premier League and Europe and had very much outgrown Tottenham. Real Madrid stumped up the cash and off Bale went to join the Galacticos in the Spanish capital.
5 seasons in and 9 trophies in the bank, as Bale approaches his 29th birthday, it is believed that the Welshman is looking for a change of scenery – not content with the squad role he has under Zinedine Zidane at Real.
He is currently 8/11 with Ladbrokes to leave Madrid in the summer transfer window.
Still one of the hottest properties in world football and there appears to be a long list of potential next clubs for Bale:
Old Trafford Awaits?
One club that have always been linked with Bale is Manchester United. Synonymous with exciting wing-play (think Ryan Giggs and David Beckham) Bale fits the stereotype of a successful Manchester United player. Question marks lie in whether they would be willing to outlay such an investment having indulged in the likes of Pogba, Lukaku and Sanchez in recent seasons and whether Jose Mourinho would get the best out of him. But at 2/1 with BetVictor, United are far and away the market leaders should he leave the Bernabeu.
Emotional Return to Tottenham
Bale has frequently spoken of his affiliation with Tottenham and the adulation between fans and player is a mutual one. Tottenham are a very different club to the one he left 5 years ago, their new stadium is ready, they have one of the most exciting managers in European football and with young English talent like Harry Kane and Dele Alli in their ranks, the future looks very bright for the North Londoners. They will need to secure Champions League football though if they are to lure Bale back to the Lane. Bale is 7/2 with Paddy Power to be playing for Tottenham next season.
Long Shots
Interest in Bale is present the world over with his ability to change games in an instant one of his biggest qualities – as proven by his excellent goal against Barcelona last time out. Inter Milan may not be the force they once were but have financial clout currently and could provide a new challenge for the Welshman at 5/1 with Betfair. Bayern Munich lost out to Madrid over 2 legs in the Champions League last week but they are always in the mix in Europe as well as dominating domestically and they could be a good fit for Bale at 8/1 with NetBet. Chelsea and Manchester City would happily take Bale’s services next season and would have no problem with financing any deal for the Welshman but at 25/1 and 33/1 with Betfair (respectively) – it looks unlikely at this stage.
Gareth Bale is at the peak of his powers at the age of 29 and seemingly has a decision to make on where he wants to spend the rest of his career – is he happy with a squad role at arguably the biggest club in the world or does he want to propel another team to greatness and leave a legacy that way?