Real Madrid Transfer News: Gareth Bale to Reportedly Snub Rumours and Stay

Gareth Bale is reportedly in line to remain at Real Madrid beyond this summer because the cost of taking the winger away from the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu would be too great for his suitors.

Neil Fissler of the Daily Express reported Los Blancos hope Bale's sale would bring in almost all of the £85 million they paid to sign the winger from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 but that no clubs look willing to pay such a figure.

The Wales star has seen his reputation wane over the past season and more, and manager Zinedine Zidane has started to show signs he prefers the likes of Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez to Bale.

Bale earned a start in Saturday's 2-1 win over Leganes, and despite his diminished standing in Madrid, his opening goal led presenter Phil Kitromilides to outline the player's impressive starts-to-goal ratio:

It's not as though the player is close to becoming available for a cut-price sum, either; his contract doesn't expire until 2022, while his £350,000-per-week wages would be impossible for most clubs to match.

Despite suggestions Bale is no longer an essential cog at Real and could be on the way out, Zidane told the media his British import is still valued at the Bernabeu, as Goal shared:

It could be safe to assume Saturday's start against Leganes—with a UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich to come on Tuesday—is an indication Bale is no longer seen as a key asset, however.

The Champions League should be seen as a barometer of which players big clubs treasure most, and blogger Lucas Navarrete highlighted Bale's lack of European involvement as a hint toward his position in Madrid:

It would be understandable if Los Merengues were eager to sell Bale—at least based on his lack of recent involvement—considering the huge impact he has on the wage bill.

After a woeful domestic campaign in 2017-18, change appears to be on the horizon for Real this summer. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague recently hinted how one high-profile move could see Bale become surplus to requirements:

Any shift away from a wing-oriented formation at Real would likely spell the end for the Welshman, but the problem then would be finding a club willing to pay his transfer fee and meet his contract requirements.

Unless a suitable offer comes in or the club lowers its valuation, we could see Bale trudge on at the Bernabeu next term in what could become an uncomfortable situation for all parties.