Gareth Bale could make a permanent Premier League return this summer after his agent confirmed he will leave Real Madrid on a free transfer once his contract expires next month. Jonathan Barnett has described a switch back to England as ‘likely’, which could reignite links with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Bale is set to depart Real nine years after joining from Tottenham in 2013, winning 15 trophies in the Spanish capital. His career at the Bernabeu has plummeted in recent seasons, though, and he temporarily left last season, returning to Spurs on a season-long loan.
WalesOnline report that the north London club and Newcastle United are two clubs at the top of a list of his suitors, joining MLS outfit DC United. And Barnett has suggested that the 32-year-old is permanently ready to return to English soil and will decide on his future after Wales’ World Cup qualifier on June 5.
He said: “[Bale] leaves Real Madrid, but we have to wait for what Wales will be able to do [on June 5]. It all depends on whether Wales qualify for the World Cup, then we will make a decision, which may vary whether or not Wales go to the World Cup. Is it more likely to return to England? I think so, but we’ll have to wait and see if Wales qualifies for the World Cup.”
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There have been long-standing links between United and Bale ever since Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge at Old Trafford. Most recently, the Red Devils considered Bale an emergency alternative before they signed Jadon Sancho last season, and the Welsh winger was ‘open’ to joining.
But Cardiff City, Bale’s hometown club, could also be in the frame, with their odds to sign him slashed in recent weeks. And manager Steve Morison has joined club chairman Mehmet Dalman in endorsing his potential arrival, labelling the free transfer a ‘no-brainer’.
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“I’m not going to go and get Gareth Bale’s number and ring him and say, ‘Oh, by the way, do you want to come and join Cardiff?'” Morison explained. “[But] it’s an absolute no-brainer. It would be great. It would be a great boost for everybody.
“But if it did happen, he would have to come and be part of the change. He would have to come and fit in and buy into it. I’m sure if anything like that was going to happen, then me and him would have a chat because there would be a lot to talk about. One of them would be making sure [the press] don’t find out about it!”
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