Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon claims that the Spanish giants will only sell Manchester United target Gareth Bale in the summer if the winger forces through a move by handing in a transfer request.
He insists that Los Blancos have absolutely no desire to sell the Welsh wizard at the end of the season.
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Gareth Bale to Manchester United almost a ‘done deal’
(Video) Gareth Bale abused by Real Madrid supporters after Champions League exit
The morning after Real’s Champions League exit at the hands of Juventus, rumours [via the Telegraph] have been surfacing that Manchester United are closing in on agreeing a stunning £300,000 per-week contract to bring the Wales international back to the Premier League.
However, speaking to talkSPORT, Calderon confidently says that Bale will remain at the Santiago Bernabeu – unless the player himself demands an exit.
“I think Gareth Bale will stay at Real Madrid,” said the 63-year-old.
“As I always say, it’s the player who decides whether he leaves or not.
“I don’t see Real Madrid selling him now, having paid more than €100m for him. He’ll only leave if he says, ‘I’m not happy here, I want to leave.’
“That’s the only situation I can see him leaving the club.”
Calerdon also went on to say that other Madrid players put in a poorer performance than Bale in their Champions League clash with Juventus on Wednesday night. The winger, he says, should not be thought of as a ‘failure’, despite not replicating his match-winning form from last season.
“He wasn’t the worst player against Juventus, he was unlucky not to score,” he continued.
“I don’t think he’s been a failure. He came with a higher transfer fee than Cristiano Ronaldo so people are always going to compare Bale with him.
“They want to see him be better than Ronaldo, to score more goals. It’s impossible though.
“It’s unfair to say he’s failed. Real Madrid are very demanding, they want to win all of the titles every year, but it’s impossible.”