Gareth Bale has decided to see the rest of his contract with Real Madrid and will not move to Major League Soccer this summer.
Speculation about the future of Welsh has continued to circulate in recent months, with some reports suggesting that he could even be open to the idea of retiring after Wales’ withdrawal from Euro 2020.
Gareth Bale will remain a Real Madrid player next season / Eurasia Sport Images / Getty Images
Bale is expected to return to Real when he starts training before the season in the next few days, and without any offers from European clubs on the table, MLS recently emerged as a possible destination for the former Tottenham man.
AS reports, however, that he has decided to watch the remaining year of his deal with Los Blancos and thereafter will not move to MLS.
Bale’s turbulent relationship with former Real boss Zinedine Zidane saw him sink on the bench during the second half of the 2019/20 campaign before being sent out on loan to Spurs last season.
Since then, Zidane has left his position as Real manager, leading Bale to leave his future to the club for next year before reconsidering his options when his contract in the Spanish capital expires in 2022.
One of Bale’s main goals is to represent Wales at the World Cup in Qatar next year – a competition that will be held in the winter – which means that the prospect of moving to MLS next summer is not ruled out.
With that said, the Welshman will probably have to take a significant pay cut if he is to secure a move to America.
Gareth Bale and Zinedine Zidane endure a turbulent relationship / Soccrates Images / Getty Images
Bale currently earns around € 30 million a year (£ 25.9 million), while MLS’s highest earner right now – LA Galaxy’s Javier Hernández – earns just € 9 million a year (£ 7.8 million).
Whether Bale is open to the idea of taking such a significant pay cut to move to MLS remains to be seen, but for now he will remain a Real Madrid player for the 2021/22 season before continuing next summer.
