Wales skipper Gareth Bale was spotted at Cardiff City’s training ground sparking transfer rumours

Talismanic Wales forward Gareth Bale was spotted at Cardiff City’s training base on Wednesday morning, fuelling talk of a potential shock switch. 

Bale, 32, is a free agent having ended his nine year stay with Real Madrid and is free to discuss terms on a contract at any club of his choosing, and met with Cardiff boss Steve Morrison over his future. 

And although he is a boyhood Bluebirds fan, he has never played for the Welsh side and any move to the Welsh capital would surely be the shock story of the summer, with the forward revealing a decision on his future is imminent, according to WalesOnline.

Gareth Bale visited Cardiff City to hold talks with boss Steve Morrison over a potential move

Bale and Morrison held talks on Wednesday

Rumours of a potential move to Cardiff had previously circled but were largely dismissed as speculative, but the player’s appearance the Bluebirds’ training ground has seen them reignited. 

Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett revealed in an earlier interview that ‘what Gareth does next is not about money’, while Wales manager Robert Page said the idea of his captain joining Cardiff ‘ticks all the boxes’ and ‘makes a lot of sense’. 

Bale himself said that the quality of a prospective side was not necessarily paramount to his decision-making process, but he was more interested in playing regular football ahead of spear-heading his side’s World Cup campaign in Qatar. 

Prior to Wales’ June 3-2 Nations League defeat against Holland in Rotterdam, he revealed: ‘It’s something I guess I need to sit down and go through.

Bale will spearhead his country’s World Cup campaign in Qatar beginning in November

Iconic forward Bale revealed he is not concerned with the standard of club football he plays

‘Not just with my family, but with the manager here (Page), with the physios here that we use, to see what would give me the best chance of being fit come November and December.

‘I don’t really know if the standard makes too much of a difference. A football game is a football game.

‘I feel like I’ll never really lose my quality on the ball. I guess it’s a conversation to be had.

Bale and Wales boss Rob Page know it is important for the player to play week in, week out

‘I need time to think what’s the best move for me, my family, my kids, and hopefully we’ll sort that over the summer. I have options.’

Despite the frenzied excitement this latest development will understandably cause in some sections of the Cardiff fanbase, the five-time Champions League winner’s future is still unclear.

But the Championship side’s agonising wait for a decision will not last much longer, as reports suggest the player will reveal his decision ahead of his return from holiday on July 16. 

Cardiff are not the only side to be interested in taking on one of European football’s most decorated forwards on a free transfer, with Newcastle and several MLS outfits monitoring Bale’s situation closely. 

The Welsh icon won five Champions League titles during his time with the Spanish giants

Bale only made seven appearances in all competitions for Real last season, scoring just once

Bale’s time at Los Blancos was tumultuous, and the Welsh star experienced several ups and downs during his nine-year stay in the Spanish capital, where he won five Champions Leagues, four Club World Cups and three LaLiga titles. 

Having made a blistering start to his Real career, forming a lethal three-pronged attack alongside club legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, Bale went from featuring 44 times in his first season to playing just seven in his ninth and final. 

The Welsh forward endured harsh treatment from the Bernabeu crowds at times during his stay with Los Blancos, and the option to play in front of thousands of jubilant Welsh fans is surely an appealing prospect.  

In total Bale managed 106 goals and 67 assists in 258 games for the Spanish giants, including a stunning overhead kick in the 3-1 Champions League final win over Liverpool in 2018.