Real Madrid: Gareth Bale remains intent on staying with the club

Real Madrid right winger Gareth Bale is expected to be sold this summer, but it seems like he truly wants to do whatever he can to stay in a city he loves.

Nobody can doubt that Gareth Bale is a Real Madrid legend and one of the most successful major transfers in the history football. Bale’s tenure in Madrid has helped usher an era of dominance for the club, as Bale has won four Champions League titles, playing a crucial role in several of Real’s biggest triumphs. For example, fans won’t be forgetting what he did to Marc Bartra in the Copa del Rey final any time soon.

Still, all good things must come to an end, and Real Madrid fans figured Bale would exit in the summer of 2019. However, deals fell through and most clubs weren’t interested in taking on Bale’s wages after a mediocre 2018-2019 season.

Bale started the 2019-2020 season determined, scoring a key brace in a 2-2 draw with Villarreal and looking like the only player capable of making something happen in a blowout loss to PSG. But thereafter, injuries took a toll, completely robbing Bale of any opportunity to start consistently or up his transfer value.

Real Madrid are in a situation where they need to buy a new top scorer to take pressure off legendary No. 9 Karim Benzema, and Bale is one of the prime candidates to sale. Not only do Los Blancos need to clear his wages to accommodate a star in their prime, but they may also feel like Bale needs a change of scenery.

Bale reportedly sees things differently. According to a report from Marco Ruiz of AS, Bale is “determined” to remain with Real Madrid for the duration of his contract, which will end after the 2021-2022 season.

It seems inconceivable to think that Real will have Bale for two more years, especially after the harsh treatment he received from fans during the 2019-2020 season. But in the upcoming market, where else will he go? Who will take on Bale’s contract?

At 30, Bale still has something left in the tank, but he is losing his trademark explosiveness on the right wing. The technical and tactical quality remains, but consistency has been difficult for him to come by. Again, injuries haven’t helped.

It’s admirable Bale wants to stay in Madrid, and his love for the city is incredible. And since it’s hard to envision him actually moving anywhere with so few potential suitors, the onus is on Real Madrid to figure out how this is going to work next year.