Real Madrid have one month to sell Gareth Bale
On 8 August, the transfer market closes in England, which would be Bale’s most likely destination and where Real Madrid still hope to find him a suitor.
On Monday morning, Zinedine Zidane’s new project began in earnest at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground – a project that for the meantime will include Gareth Bale.
Despite the fact that the French coach does not see Bale as part of this future plans and the club wants to sell him, the Welshman has insisted on staying.
In fact, this Monday a source within his camp told AS that “at the moment everything is still the same”, assuring that the 29-year-old “is going to stay in Madrid; the decision has been made". The source also said that there has so far been no offers, nor enquires, from other clubs regarding the Welsh striker.
As such, the next month will be key regarding Bale’s future, during which the Bernabéu board will continue to try to engineer his exit, while Bale himself will work hard to try to convince Zidane that he still deserves a place in his squad.
The barriers to Bale leaving Real Madrid
On the evening of 8 August, the transfer market closes in England, which would be Bale’s most likely destination and where Madrid still hope to find him a suitor. But the Welshman is determined to stay on in the Spanish capital, despite the position of his coach and the general animosity held towards him by large sections of the Bernabéu crowd.
And indeed the main obstacle to selling Bale is his desire to continue at Madrid, justified to a greater extent because he and his family feel at home and happy in Spain. But it is not the only obstacle: his salary – around 14.5 million euros year – is also a major factor.
Only a select number of clubs could afford to pay that figure in the Premier League, where the biggest barrier is now the chronological one: on 8 August, one month from now, the bells will sound in England to signal close of the market.