Real Madrid: Gareth Bale’s transfer is not guaranteed

Real Madrid view selling Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez as priorities in the 2020 summer transfer window, but what if they can’t find a suitor?

Last summer, Real Madrid tried to sign Gareth Bale, but they struggled to find a new club for a player with high wages coming off a subpar 2018-2019 season. Real received one transfer offer, but the deal apparently fell through when Los Blancos asked for a fee. Basically, teams didn’t want to take on Bale’s salary and pay an additional transfer fee.

So Zinedine Zidane and Real were left with no choice but to keep Bale for another year and play him. And when the 2019-2020 season started, that wasn’t a bad scenario at all. Bale is one of the most talented footballers in the world and a club legend. Memories of his Champions League Final bicycle kick were still fresh in the minds of Madridistas. Better yet, he scored two goals early in the season to rescue a point against a tough Villarreal side.

Unfortunately, he never scored in La Liga again.

Now, Bale is on the outs. He didn’t even make the squad against Manchester City, because Bale apparently told the team he “preferred not to play”. If there’s any clear sign that his time at the Santiago Bernabeu is finished, then it is that omission from the squad.

Can anyone take on Gareth Bale’s contract from Real Madrid?

The problem is that there’s no guarantee Real Madrid can sell Bale. They may want to, and it may be the most ideal move for the club. But firstly, there’s no indication Bale wants to leave. He’s getting paid, he likes Madrid, and while he doesn’t like sitting on the bench, his agent consistently indicates he’s happy with remaining in Madrid.

There’s a bigger barrier to a transfer, and that is the interest in Bale. If nobody wanted to sign Bale last summer when there was no pandemic, why would they want to sign Bale now when his wages are even more onerous? Who would pay a fee for a player coming off an injury-plagued season with no La Liga or Champions League goals since September?

The answer is, unfortunately for Los Blancos, “most likely nobody”. It would be a stretch to see a team even fork over 15 million euros for a 31-year-old wide forward lacking in goals and dealing with injury issues.

If the worst comes to worst, Real Madrid must learn to live with another season of Bale, and while that may seem like a disaster to some, it is all up to Zinedine Zidane on how that unfolds. Bale can still help, even if he’s clearly not the player he used to be. His teammates still seem to respect him, even if the fans do not.

There is a path forward if Gareth Bale must stay in Madrid through the duration of his contract, and right now, Real must be prepared for that reality. They would love to be able to move on from Bale’s salary and help themselves financially, but if nobody else wants to take on that financial burden, Los Blancos will have no choice. A burned bridge must be repaired.