Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane says it is unlikely Gareth Bale will leave the club in January amid renewed interest from China and the Premier League
Bale has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the past few months as all indications suggested that he was leaving Madrid during the transfer window, especially after boss Zinedine Zidane came out and pretty much admitted that he no longer wanted the Welshman in his squad anymore.
That led to a lot of transfer speculation that Chelsea were interested in trying to secure a possible transfer deal for the Welshman, as they sought an immediate replacement for the now departed Eden Hazard, despite the fact that they cannot buy any players for at least two transfer windows.
But the transfer window came and went, and Bale had to stay put as nobody was prepared to meet his £100 million price tag, meaning that he would have to stay with Madrid and try to earn a place in Zidane’s starting line-up on a regular basis, but there has been a lot of speculation in the media that a number of Premier League sides, including Chelsea, would make a move in the January window.
Chelsea are currently in the midst of that transfer ban, but are looking to try and get that overturned ahead of the winter transfer window, with reports boss Frank Lampard is still keen to add a couple of game-changing players to his very young Chelsea side.
But it seems that Chelsea, or anybody else keen on Bale in January will have to wait, after Zidane was asked to respond to rumours of him wanting to leave the Santiago Bernabeu during the next transfer window, and he told Sky Sports “We have a good relationship. The player is here, he wants to achieve things, he makes an effort, he trains.
“And if he’s not available, well, he is not training because he is injury, that’s all. Many things are said but at the end, we all know, and you all know, what kind of player he is when he’s fit, when he’s 100 per cent.
“If he’s not available then he’s not. But there’s a huge mess here around what’s going on and we have a good relationship. There’s not story to tell. He left (to London) because he’s not available. But he never said that he wants to leave the club. He’s here and if he can train he does it, and if he can play he does it. And he played so many games, that’s all.
“There won’t be any offers, I don’t think so. I’m not thinking about that anyway. Gareth is a Real Madrid player and things will be discussed next January, next June at the latest. But so far, he’s here and I’m happy with him.
“I think everybody’s happy with him, everybody’s happy when he’s available to play.”
Bale is an absolute superstar in the game and still one of the best players at the club, so it was a shock to see that he was put on the transfer list by the Frenchman. So even though Zidane would have liked to sell Bale, the best option is to keep hold as the Welshman is a game-changer.
If he wants to leave in January, let him leave, as many teams will be keen to sign up the Welshman as he is still regarded as one of the best wingers in the game.