Gareth Bale Reportedly Holds Positive Real Madrid Talks Amid Man United Rumours
July 17, 2018
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has reportedly held positive discussions with the football club, increasing the likelihood he will stay at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
According to John Percy of the Daily Telegraph, the Wales international has sat down with new manager Julen Lopetegui to discuss plans for next season, with the player advised by the coach that he has an important role to play following Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Juventus.
"Lopetegui is understood to have told Bale how much he admires him, and how is he looking forward to working with him in the forthcoming campaign," the piece continued. "... Bale's representatives are expected to hold talks with the Real hierarchy later this week but, at this stage, a move to [Manchester] United appears remote."
It's reported that United have asked whether or not a transfer could be completed this summer for the former Tottenham Hotspur man. Manager Jose Mourinho is said to be a big admirer of the 29-year-old.
However, after casting doubt over his future at Madrid following the win over Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League final in May, Bale now appears poised to stay where he is, thus extending his five-year stint in the Spanish capital.
As we can see here, since joining Real Madrid the forward has been a huge success and has won the Champions League on four separate occasions:
He's made huge impacts in these finals too. In his debut campaign in 2013-14, he put Madrid ahead against local rivals Atletico Madrid in extra time, while two years later he was excellent in the 2015-16 final versus the same opponents.
But it was in the most recent showpiece he had the biggest impact, coming off the bench to score two goals for Los Blancos in a 3-1 win over Liverpool, including an incredible overhead kick from the edge of the area.
It was a historic performance from the Madrid No. 11:
Still, his role at Real has come under scrutiny. Bale only started 20 games in La Liga last term and has been dogged by persistent injury issues in recent years, meaning former manager Zinedine Zidane would often turn to players such as Isco, Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema in the biggest games instead of Bale.
With Ronaldo's departure confirmed, Bale is now likely to be given the platform to establish himself as a key man again.
According to James Robson of the Manchester Evening News, although there is still interest in the player from the Red Devils, it's looking increasingly unlikely they'll get their man:
It's a crucial season in Bale's career. While his position at Madrid appeared in jeopardy after the Champions League final, under a new manager who has a talisman-shaped hole to fill, he has the chance to establish himself as an indispensable player in one of the world's biggest teams.
In the past, injury woes have let him down and conquering those remains a significant obstacle for Bale to overcome. Still, Lopetegui appears to be ready to show faith in the Welshman, and he will be desperate to respond in turn.