There’s no club that gets through star players quite like Real Madrid. Once the world’s most expensive player, it looks like Gareth Bale will be joining a new club this summer.
As quoted in this report by BBC Sport, Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has rather brutally said he’s looking for Bale to leave and is hopeful the player’s departure will be done soon.
MORE: From world-record transfer to forced-out flop: How it all went wrong for Gareth Bale at Real Madrid
It’s a shame to see the Wales international pushed out like this after a contribution of 78 goals and 44 assists in 155 La Liga games, as well as numerous vital performances in Champions League finals for the club.
In 2016, The Guardian reported Bale earned £350k a week after tax in Madrid, so only a few clubs could afford to sign him. Here’s a look at where he could end up…
Manchester United
Earlier in the summer, the Daily Mirror linked Bale with United in a possible loan deal, and it’s a move that would make sense all round. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is assembling an exciting and dynamic squad at Old Trafford, however with so many young players, Bale’s experience would be useful. It would give him the chance to be the star player at a giant club, and also prove to Premier League fans that he can still play at the elite level after some unhappy years in Madrid. He could also team up with youngster Daniel James and possibly help develop his eventual successor for the Welsh national team.
Bayern Munich
The Germans could do with replacements for Frank Ribery and Arjen Robben. Bale would provide someone instantly able to produce and arguably still in his prime years. Bayern do have exciting young duo Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry in attack, though the Welshman could take some pressure away from them and allow them to continue to develop, rather than being relied upon this season which could prove too much for them.
PSG
Perhaps a possible replacement for Neymar if he leaves PSG, but even then he may not want to play second fiddle to Kylian Mbappe. The French giants could probably afford him and a front line of Mbappe, Cavani and Bale would steamroller most defences in Ligue 1. They are desperate for success in the Champions League, so Bale’s record in big European games could make him just the player to take them to that next level.
China
The Chinese League is an easy link due to the money on offer there, however their transfer window closes at the end of July so any move would need to be completed quickly. There’s also the problem that each team can only field three foreign players at any time on the pitch, so most clubs would need to sell or sideline a current foreign player to make room. The move would make financial sense, but would pretty much signal the end to Bale’s career playing at an elite level.
Juventus
This would be intriguing on many levels, but could depend on Paulo Dybala being sold. The Argentine was linked to Man Utd in The Metro recently. A move to Turin could see Bale team up with international team-mate Aaron Ramsey, which could appeal to him. Juventus are also likely to be one of Real Madrid’s rivals in the Champions League so Bale could get one over on his old side on the biggest stage. The biggest issue would be the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Mirror detailing how the pair long seemed to have a difficult relationship at the Bernabeu.