Gareth Bale Says It's an 'Honour' to Be Linked with Bayern Ahead of UCL Tie

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has said it is an "honour" to be linked with German champions Bayern Munich ahead of the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg between the two teams. 

The European giants will clash at the Allianz Arena Wednesday, and Bale was asked about speculation that Munich may make a move for him by Bild (h/t Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC). The Welshman had plenty of praise for the Bavarian side.

"You can never rule out anything in football," Bale said. "Currently, I play football at Real Madrid and I enjoy that. Bayern have a fantastic squad and already in the past they have always been one of the most successful clubs in Europe. It's an honour for everyone to be linked with this club. But as of now I am a Real Madrid player."

Corrigan admitted he was surprised the former Tottenham Hotspur spoke so candidly ahead of this huge match:

"

Bale speaking to Bild on morning of huge Madrid v Bayern - and suggesting he could join Bayern at some stage - is pretty startling https://t.co/9vPErvYXRw

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) April 25, 2018"

As noted in the report, Bale has fallen out of favour at the Santiago Bernabeu this season due to a run of injuries and loss of form. That's fuelled rumours that his stay in the Spanish capital may be about to come to an end.

Manager Zinedine Zidane was asked about James Rodriguez ahead of this game, a player who left Madrid to join Bayern last summer, and he has hinted other key players may be on the move at the end of this season.

"I never had any problems with James," said Zidane, per Jason Burt of the Daily Telegraph. "He just wanted to play more and I understood. This year will be the same—there are important players, but they have to sit on the bench. This is the most difficult part of being a coach."

Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

As noted by Burt, Bale is expected to be on the bench for the semi-final showdown, with the likes of Lucas Vazquez, Isco and Marco Asensio ahead of him in the pecking order for much of 2017-18.

Still, as relayed by Harry Sherlock of Goal, Bale remains one of the most handsomely paid players in world football:

Given he's no longer a guaranteed starter and earning so much, you suspect Madrid wouldn't be averse to selling their No. 11 for the right price at the end of the season. As noted by the Spanish Football Podcast, the Madridistas are beginning to lose patience with the forward:

It's not clear where Bale would fit in at Bayern. While Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are approaching the end of their careers, the Wales international turns 29 this summer. If the Munich giants are to spend big on long-term replacements, surely they'd look to someone younger?

Bale is evidently approaching a crucial summer, though, as he will want to be playing consistent football in what should be the peak years of his career. With Zidane in charge, that doesn't appear likely at the Santiago Bernabeu.