Real Madrid Reportedly Want Gareth Bale to Be Key Man Amid Exit Rumours

Real Madrid reportedly want Gareth Bale to be their key man in the upcoming campaign, although the player is said to still be considering his options this summer.

It's been reported by Marco Ruiz of AS that following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure to Juventus the European champions expect Bale to step into the role of talisman for the team. 

"Real Madrid look to be putting themselves in the hands of 29-year-old Bale," said Ruiz. "The Welshman is already in his sixth season in the Spanish capital and, in spite of the rumours linking him with a move away from the club, and his apparent inability to stay fit, seeing that Neymar and [Kylian] Mbappe are missions impossible, the focus has changed."

However, while Madrid are said to be ready to rely on Bale, the Welshman isn't so sure, according to Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC:

Bale struggled for long spells of the previous campaign, as he often found himself on the bench under former manager Zinedine Zidane.

However, the Wales international came off the bench during the UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool and netted two goals to win the game 3-1 for his team—the first was a stunning overhead kick from the edge of the box.

It was a piece of skill that was Ronaldo-esque in its execution:

Bale has conjured many big moments for Madrid in the past, too, scoring in the Champions League final in 2014 and netting a brilliant winner against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final in the same season.

However, injury issues have prevented Bale from kicking on to the level of players like Ronaldo, and under Zidane, the constant problems saw Isco usurp the former Tottenham Hotspur man in the XI.

Now it appears Bale has a chance to become the key attacker in the team, with Madrid looking increasingly unlikely to sign a direct replacement for Ronaldo.

As Corrigan noted, it seems the No. 11 is being put forward as a leading light under Lopetegui:

Bale has been regularly linked with a move away from the club, and after his brace in the Champions League final, he hinted that an exit may be on the cards, per BBC Sport; as noted by the same source, Manchester United have been tipped as possible suitors previously.

The void left by Ronaldo and the fresh ideas of Lopetegui may have given Bale the chance to relaunch his career in the Spanish capital, though.

According to James Robson of the Manchester Evening News, the player wants some guarantees about his status:

For all his talent and big-game pedigree, relying on Bale would be a gamble for Madrid. History dictates that the forward will have a spell on the sidelines due to injury issues and that would potentially leave the team short at times.

Still, at 29, Bale should be in the peak years of his playing days and should embrace being able to step out of Ronaldo's shadow. Given the significant shifts that have gone on around him at the Santiago Bernabeu lately, this may just be the biggest season of his career so far.