Gareth Bale's Real Madrid exit is all but confirmed and the Welshman could complete a sensational move to China in the coming days. The 30-year-old winger has reportedly received two offers from the Super League, one of which could make him the world's best-paid player with a £1 million-a-week salary offer on the table.
Following Real Madrid's 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in preseason, head coach Zinedine Zidane revealed that Bale was not in the squad as Los Blancos is working on offloading him to another club. In his post-match address, the Frenchman said: "He wasn't called up because the club is dealing with his transfer elsewhere and that's why he didn't play.
"We'll have to see if it goes through tomorrow, if it does then all the better.
"Let's hope it can be resolved quickly for everyone's sake - for him too. The club is negotiating with another club where he could end up playing and that's the situation as things stand.
"It's nothing personal," Zidane added.
Bale's days at Real Madrid are over. pic.twitter.com/HEgT9COjgw
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 21, 2019
"There comes a time when things are done because they need to be done."
The Real Madrid boss' statement has been met with massive backlash all around the world and Gareth Bale's agent, Jonathan Barnett, has also hit back at the French manager.
"Zidane is a disgrace to speak like that about someone who has done so much for Real," he told Spanish publication AS.
"If and when Gareth goes, it will be because it is in the best interest of Gareth and nothing to do with Zidane pushing."
I find Real Madrid fans' and Zidane's attitude towards Bale an absolute disgrace. He has performed so well over there and handed them moments in their history they'll never forget. The whole situation is absolutely bizarre.
— Alex Shaw (@AlexShawESPN) July 21, 2019
According to AS, the two Chinese Super League sides interested in recruiting Gareth Bale are Jiangsu Suning and Beijing Guoan. Both clubs intend to make the Real Madrid superstar the world's highest paid player but would first have to reach an agreement with Real Madrid regarding his transfer fee.
Should the deal go through, Bale will be ending an eight-season stint with the Spanish capital club following a then-world record move from Tottenham worth around £85 million in 2013. Although his career has been plagued by injuries, the 30-year-old forward will depart the Bernabeu outfit with 102 goals and 65 assists in 231 matches.
He won a La Liga title, a Spanish Super Cup and Copa Del Rey, four Champions League titles, three UEFA Super Cups and also four Club World Cups.
Before Gareth Bale arrived at Real Madrid, they hadn't won the Champions League for 12 years.
— FutbolBible (@FutbolBible) July 21, 2019
In his 6 years at the club, he's helped them to 4 European titles, single handedly winning them the 2018 final.
The way he has been treated & disrespected has been an absolute joke. pic.twitter.com/w3rMYnzpE2