The Gareth Bale Exile Continues

Aside from the Eurovision Song Contest this past weekend (which was absolutely incredible), we’d argue that one of the biggest stories in Europe was that of Gareth Bale’s future. Following a few rumoured back and forth statements from the Welshman and Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, it feels like a virtual certainty that he’ll be leaving the Bernabeu in the next few months. As reported by BBC it seems like those within the club can’t see a scenario in which he stays, and as reported by Manchester Evening News, Manchester United are already sniffing around as they once again attempt to lure him to Old Trafford.

An odd case

From an outsider’s perspective looking in this scenario/situation has always seemed a little bit weird, because let’s face it, Bale has done a lot for this club. From single-handedly winning the Champions League final for them last season to his string of strong performances over the years since joining, you’d think the club would show him a little bit more loyalty than they have done.

None of us actually know what happens behind the scenes so perhaps there’s more to this than meets the eye, but we’re just going off of what we’re seeing transpire in front of us. Both parties clearly have to share some of the blame for things falling apart, but now, the most important thing to do is ensure that this doesn’t get dragged out over the entire summer.

When that happens it really does feel like neither side is a winner, and it’s best to try and rip the band aid off by getting a deal done sooner rather than later. It could be hard to find a suitable place for Gareth to go due to his unbelievable wage demands, but there are enough big clubs out there to make us believe that he’ll be just fine.

This has been one hell of a journey for Bale up to this point, and we’re really intrigued to see what the future has in store for him. A fresh change of pace could really reignite his career in a manner that would, once again, force him into the discussion of ‘best player in the world’.

Rising from the ashes

Perhaps we’re being a little bit overoptimistic with that, but you’ve all seen what he can do with a ball at his feet. He’s conquered the Premier League and he’s conquered La Liga, and given his nation’s expectations, he’s also done some incredible work with the Welsh national team. He played a huge role in getting them to the semi finals of UEFA Euro 2016, which isn’t something that we think they’ll even be able to replicate in the future. That’s not us being harsh, either, we’re just speaking the truth (in our mind).

Based on what we’ve heard and what we know it feels like Real Madrid aren’t going to come out of this looking great, but in equal measure, Gareth Bale simply has to find success wherever he goes next in order to prove once and for all that he’s one of the all time greats.