According to Marca (h/t The Express), Real Madrid are preparing to offload star forward Gareth Bale as Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane doesn’t want the winger in his squad next season.
Bale, 30, came through the ranks of Southampton’s youth system and moved to Tottenham in 2007. After initially struggling for game time at White Hart Lane, he solely established himself as one of the best wingers in England and contributed with 21 goals and 9 assists in his final season with Tottenham.
His outstanding performances earned him a move to Real Madrid. He struck a strong partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema and won several trophies in Spain, including three successive Champions League titles.
However, he has struggled with injuries quite often in the past two seasons and has played only a bit-part role. He has racked up just 3 goals and 2 assists this term in 18 games across all competitions.
Zidane’s men have failed to make the most of their chance in going top of the table after defeating Barcelona. The 2-1 loss to Real Betis has seen their rivals pip them to the top before the La Liga got suspended.
Los Blancos have one of the best attacking units in Europe despite the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. They brought in a few youngsters in Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, Luka Jovic and the arrival of Eden Hazard has been a huge boost to the squad.
Despite the former Chelsea man’s injury issues, Madrid have done well with the youngsters. Hence, it is the right time for the club to part ways with Gareth Bale.
The 30-year-old has not been at his best in the last two seasons and has often been out of action due to other issues. He has fallen down the pecking order under the manager.
The Welshman’s huge wages of £350,000-a-week should be a concern for the club and they would be wasting a lot of resources on a benched player. Lucas Vasquez and Rodrygo have done a decent job in his absence and they also have Marco Asensio, who is ready to return after a long lay-off.
Bale has not been what he once used to be for Tottenham and in the initial days at the Santiago Bernabeu. He is already 30 and would not have much to offer in the years to come, especially with all the injuries taking a toll on him.
Real Madrid have got a lot of youngsters to cover the wide areas and should be able to do well with them. And Bale is only being used as a substitute player in the majority of the games.
Therefore, the decision to offload the 30-year-old in the summer is a wise move as the club can bring in new faces to bolster their attacking ranks.
