Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has claimed he enjoys a “good relationship” with Gareth Bale, while dismissing rumours he could leave the club next year.
The Welshman came close to leaving Santiago Bernabeu over the summer after Zidane publicly admitted he wasn’t in his plans for the 2019-20 campaign, but a proposed move to China ended up falling through.
The Madrid manager has since performed a U-turn regarding Bale’s position at the club, with the 30-year-old once again playing a key role for the team at the start of the new season.
However, Goal reports that the mercurial winger travelled to London on Monday to meet with his agent Jonathan Barnett, sparking fresh transfer speculation.
Ahead of Madrid’s La Liga clash with Leganes on Wednesday, which Bale is set to miss through injury, Zidane spoke out on a prized asset’s future, insisting that the media has tried to create a problem which doesn’t exist between the pair.
“We have a good relationship, I’ve not spoken to him about leaving and he never talks about it either,” Zidane told a pre-match press conference – as per Marca.
“He had permission from the club to travel, he is away because he’s injured. He can’t play, and when he is available to play, he does, and he has played many games.
“He tries hard and trains well, but the mess here is created by a lot of talk, but the player is 100 percent committed.
“Bale is a Madrid player and I count on him, when he is back playing we will all be happy.
“There are medical matters and everyone has a right to speak, but there are very qualified people who are working with him and we do things very carefully.
“I believe he is happy with the people working here, I haven’t seen him complain much.”
Bale has contributed two goals and two assists in six La Liga appearances this term, helping Madrid fight for a place at the top of the table.
The Blancos can return to the summit with a victory over Leganes tomorrow, but only if Barcelona fail to win at home to Real Valladolid.
