What can you say about Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale that hasn’t already been said? The Welshman took the footballing world by storm at Spurs before completing a dream move to the Spanish giants as they looked to utilise his pace and power alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. With 69 goals and 54 assist in 158 games for the club, he certainly has delivered but could Zidane be starting to consider other options?
Bale has long been linked with a move back to the Premier League, with Manchester United the destination that is often talked about in the media. Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett has always moved to dismiss the rumours as nothing more than paper talk but some suggest there’s no smoke without fire in regard to the situation and that Bale is an asset Zinedine Zidane would be prepared to lose if the offer was right for the club. Even though Cristiano Ronaldo has also himself been linked with moves away in the past, there’s always been a feeling that a move like that would fail to materialise due to how important he is to the club.
Real Madrid faced Alaves this weekend and were victorious, winning the game 2-1. Last time out, in a game that Bale played the full 90 minutes, Real surprisingly lost at home to Real Betis after Antonio Sanabria headed home from an Antonio Barragan cross deep into injury time. It was important that Zidane’s men reacted quickly to the shock defeat but Bale was left on the bench by the Frenchman and that’s where he stayed as Zidane opted not to sub him on. A brace from Dani Ceballos ensured victory but Real would end the day at least 4 points behind leaders Barcelona.
With Barcelona already having a points advantage over Real, could it be a sign that the power of Los Blancos is beginning to wane, especially with the likes of Bale and Ronaldo heading towards the twilight years of their careers. This sentiment has already been reflected in the betting for who is to win the La Liga title, Unibet has Barcelona as 3/5 odds on favourites, whist Real is 7/4. Kylian Mbappe was linked with a move to the Bernabeu over the summer, before opting to join money laden PSG, with many suggesting if the move happened that Bale would be moved on. You could look at the situation and say maybe Zidane needs to start a rebuilding process with some of the players at the club ageing, in order to ensure they’ll continue to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. You’d expect that Bale would be at risk if they needed to finance a deal in order to bring in fresh blood.
There’s no denying just how talented Gareth Bale is and what he can bring to any side in world football. His pace, power and lung busting runs are weapons that have helped him deliver in England, Spain, in Europe and also internationally. If he was ever to leave the Bernabeu, even at 28, he still has a good few years left in him where his powers are just as effective as they’ve always been.
Main image credit:
