- Uday Partap Singh
Gareth Bale Transfer News: Jonathan Barnett, the Welshman’s agent, stated that his client will leave Real Madrid, but did not rule out the possibility of retirement.
The 32-year-recent old’s nightmare with Real Madrid is over, and he will be a free agent at the conclusion of the season. Despite winning every major award during his tenure in Madrid, he has remained a polarizing figure who has fallen out of favour.
Bale spent last season on loan with Tottenham Hotspur before returning to Real Madrid in the hopes of getting more playing time under his old coach Carlo Ancelotti. However, he has only appeared five times in La Liga and has played less than 300 minutes throughout all competitions.
His national team form has remained good, and he was instrumental in leading Wales to a play-off and participation in their first World Cup since 1958. However, following such a difficult tenure at the club level, it has been urged that he retire.
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And Barnett, who predicted a return to England, claimed his long-term future will be determined by Wales’ play-off fate, and that elimination may change his mind.
“He’s leaving Real Madrid, but we’ll have to see what Wales can do,” Barnett told Record in Portugal. “It all relies on whether Wales qualifies for the World Cup, and then we’ll make a decision,” he said. “Whether Wales goes to the World Cup may vary.”
“Is a return to England more likely? I believe so, but we’ll have to see if Wales makes it to the World Cup.”
Several clubs have been linked with a transfer, and Cardiff City manager Steve Morison said last month that bringing him to the club would be a “no brainer,” but that the wing magician would have to initiate contact if he wants to make a stunning switch to the Bluebirds.
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Morison firmly agreed when Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman stated that the Championship club would be “open listeners.”
“Well, who wouldn’t be?” Is there anyone who isn’t willing to listen?!” Wales Online quoted Morison as saying. “I’m not going to obtain Gareth Bale’s phone number and call him and say, ‘Oh, by the way, do you want to join Cardiff?’
“It’s a no-brainer. It would be fantastic. It would be a huge help to everyone. He would have to come and be a part of the transformation if it did happen. He’d have to come in and make himself at home.”
“If something like that happened, I’m sure I and him would have a conversation since there would be a lot to talk about. One of them would be preventing [the press] from learning about it!”