Despite the rumor mill’s whirling, Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has never been expected to switch sides in January. But it sounds like fans shouldn’t expect him to be transferred in the summer either.
After an early-season brace against Villarreal, Gareth Bale has been awfully quiet for Real Madrid in 2019-2020. Whereas Isco, Luka Modric, and Toni Kroos have bounced back this season under Zinedine Zidane, Bale has yet to recapture his world-class form at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Bale was supposed to be transferred this past summer, but he resisted. More importantly, nobody seemed to want an aging, injury-prone winger coming off a poor season. So Bale’s best option was to remain in Real and prove he’s still one of the best in the world.
That hasn’t happened yet, but Bale has been decent this season. He hasn’t looked like a superstar, but he’s made some quality appearances, including a few highlight-reel passes.
The player’s agent recently told ESPN FC’s Alex Kirkland that there’s no chance of a winter transfer, despite rumors linking Bale to MLS. Previously, rumors loosely connected the Wales international with moves to Tottenham and Manchester United, but these infamous “swap deal” musings never threatened to go anywhere.
Furthermore, Bale’s agent stated that it’s “very unlikely” for the 30-year-old to move away from Real Madrid in the summer. This statement is more notable, because while it was obvious Bale wouldn’t leave in the winter – both due to minimal interest and Bale’s own importance to Real’s depth in the second half of the season – it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Los Blancos would look to move him in the summer.
Bale’s contract runs out after the 2021-2022 season, so it looks like Bale will spend a couple of more seasons in Real, regardless of what happens. MLS clubs may want to sign Bale, but because of his salary and his own ambitions, a move to the United States isn’t likely even beyond January 2020.