Gareth Bale Has 'Never Wanted to Leave Real Madrid,' Says Agent

Gareth Bale "has never wanted to leave Real Madrid" despite consistent "stupid" rumours about his future at the club, according to his agent, Jonathan Barnett.

The Welshman has been, on paper, a huge success at Real since joining from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a then-world-record £85 million transfer fee.

He has won four UEFA Champions Leagues, one La Liga title and the Copa del Rey, and his goalscoring record stands at 75 in 142 league games.

However, almost every transfer window, reports emerge linking Bale with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu. He also sparked widespread talk he might depart with his comments after last season's Champions League final, in which he came off the bench to score twice:

In an interview with Madridista Real, though, Barnett rubbished the idea that Bale, 29, has ever wanted to leave the Madrid giants (h/t MailOnline's Matt Porter):

"Gareth never wanted to leave Real Madrid. Bale has always felt an important part of this team. ... Bale is very happy at Real Madrid, and Real Madrid is very happy with Bale. The truth is we are already tired of these stupid lie stories.

"Gareth has always been respectful to the fans, and on certain occasions fans have been angry with him, perhaps unfairly. But now fans have realised they were wrong. He's a superstar, a player at the height of Real Madrid. He has suffered campaigns against him. The treatment he has received from the press has been very unpleasant. I think jealousy may be the reason."

The 2018-19 campaign was supposed to be the season when Bale finally became the main man at Real after Cristiano Ronaldo's departure for Juventus.

It has not quite panned out that way. Real have struggled as a whole without Ronaldo, and Bale has again suffered injury problems that have meant he has been unavailable for periods.

The former Spurs star has five goals and two assists in 16 La Liga appearances this term. That makes Bale Real's second-top scorer behind Karim Benzema, but they are hardly spectacular numbers. And he is still seemingly struggling to win over the Real fans.

A recent poll in Spanish newspaper AS asked who out of Bale, Lucas Vazquez and Vinicius Jr. should drop to the bench now that the Wales international is back from injury. More than 50 per cent of the near 40,000 respondents said it should be Bale.