Gareth Bale Exit Talk Grows as Relationship with Zinedine Zidane Has 'Eroded'

Real Madrid and Wales forward Gareth Bale is ready to leave the club this summer because his relationship with head coach Zinedine Zidane has broken down, per Manu Sainz of AS (h/t Football Espana).

The Wales international has fallen down the pecking order at Real and did not play a single minute of their 3-0 victory over Juventus in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg.

It was the first time in 2017-18 that Bale has not featured in the Champions League when fit, prompting Sainz to say the forward will soon be heading for the exit.

Football Espana said there is "no way back" for the 28-year-old since his bond with the manager has "eroded." Bale has started half of Real's 30 matches in La Liga this season and appeared in just four Champions League games.

Isco and Karim Benzema partnered Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday, with Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio appearing off the bench, making Bale sixth choice for a forward role.

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Sainz also reported Bale was expected to leave the club last summer to facilitate the arrival of Kylian Mbappe, who instead joined Paris Saint-Germain, before adding Real will once again look to offload the Wales international at the end of the season.

Zidane's future was called into question recently, although it seems increasingly likely he will be allowed to stay on for another season thanks to their excellent Champions League form, per Jose Felix Diaz for Marca. Consequently, his "deteriorating relationship" with Bale spells bad news for the former Tottenham Hotspur winger.

Not that he would be without suitors. Jose Mourinho and Manchester United have long been linked with Bale, and in March, Sport's Alejandro Alcazar reported that the Welshman has been "convinced" to join the club.

It looks increasingly likely Bale won't be a Real Madrid player for much longer. Premier League fans—or at least those with long enough memories to recall his phenomenal 2012-13 campaign—will be excited by the thought of the winger's return to English football.