What next for Gareth Bale?

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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Why have their fans never taken to him much? He's scored some very big goals for them. Is it the injuries? Or do they feel he lacks dedication? I find it strange he's so disliked by a large section of their fans when you consider he's their top scorer this season and won them the Champions League 6 months ago.
 

RedDevil@84

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Why have their fans never taken to him much? He's scored some very big goals for them. Is it the injuries? Or do they feel he lacks dedication? I find it strange he's so disliked by a large section of their fans when you consider he's their top scorer this season and won them the Champions League 6 months ago.
Maybe fans want to see consistency.
 

lsd

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Wait for the "A fit bale for 8 games is worth it" argument
I know plus the "if he stays fit he will tear the premiership up " rubbish .

He is 30 injury probe with a style of play that is never going to last long at the top level once you hit your 30s .

He has never adapted his game he is not Ronaldo or even Larson who someone tried to compare him too
 

Mindhunter

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Real has lost the opportunity to move him on, first by giving him a bumper contract, second by trying to pitch him as an alternative to Ronaldo's popularity and influence within the club's fanbase.

Now, he has no incentive to move on. His injuries have reduced his number of appearances, so that isn't a concern. Financially, any move will be a massive step-down and Real will have to subsidize his wages. Thirdly, he is still guaranteed to win silverware and be in the spotlight at Real Madrid. He is hardly going to get another bumper contract, given his injury record.

This boat has sailed - finally.
 

Irish Jet

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Would be pretty standard Woodward to sign him.
 

carvajal

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I can only think of Chelsea, next summer, as payment, or part of the payment by Hazard , or Tottenham, if the negotiations for Eriksen are true.

In both cases it seems complicated, since these swap deals provoke a lot of gossip but then never take place, as well as negotiate his wages, more or less similar to what he earns now
 

Fortitude

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Can never really work out whether Madrid, as in Perez, should deem Bale's tenure there a success or a failure, and I also think it's only Madrid on the entire planet where playing so few games, but having a key impact in the Champions League almost solely, would be enough to justify such a massive outlay.

He's got 4 European Cups there, ffs! Being an important component in a fair amount of them - actually, when I phrase it like that, I'm thinking, even in hindsight, there's a number of clubs, including ourselves who would have coughed up the money and had him as a crock if they could have just rolled him out for the Champions League and had him have the same impact on the competition.

Problem is, you'd have needed a superstar setup to accommodate him in the first place and there weren't many clubs who could come anywhere near Madrid in that department, so that swings things back to being confusing again.

Talking about the Bale of now, it's only a logical move for PSG, imo. They could cope with a bit-part playing crock, can easily afford the wages and are so dominant in their league that he's not needed for those games. He's a proven CL winner and performer - a stage they routinely fall flat on - and could well be the one who takes them up another level.

Besides that, it gives them the chance to move Mbappe central.

Any other club would be absolutely stupid to pay premium wages plus a transfer fee for a 30-year old bit-part player who guarantees more time injured than playing. Someone better keep Woodward bound and gagged this summer to prevent him from picking up the phone when Perez attempts to flog his used goods!
 

ravi2

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Would be pretty standard Woodward to sign him.
I think with Jose gone and the DOF about to be hired the days of Woodward making ridiculous footballing decisions with no oversight is soon to be over.
 

ravi2

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Real has lost the opportunity to move him on, first by giving him a bumper contract, second by trying to pitch him as an alternative to Ronaldo's popularity and influence within the club's fanbase.

Now, he has no incentive to move on. His injuries have reduced his number of appearances, so that isn't a concern. Financially, any move will be a massive step-down and Real will have to subsidize his wages. Thirdly, he is still guaranteed to win silverware and be in the spotlight at Real Madrid. He is hardly going to get another bumper contract, given his injury record.

This boat has sailed - finally.
Perez really shit the bed on this one, everyone knew the time for Bale to move was last season regardless of whether Ronaldo left or not.
 

dannyrhinos89

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Why have their fans never taken to him much? He's scored some very big goals for them. Is it the injuries? Or do they feel he lacks dedication? I find it strange he's so disliked by a large section of their fans when you consider he's their top scorer this season and won them the Champions League 6 months ago.

The majority of Madrid fans are just idiots tbh, this is the same fans that booed casillas and Ronaldo on occasion.
 

Mb194dc

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I think he'll stay at Madrid. With his injury record and massive wages it's difficult to see how a transfer could work on the financial side.

Only about 4 clubs in the world could afford him and none of them seem likely to want him.
 

RochaRoja

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Ageing, injury prone superstar on massive wages.

Seems like a classic Woodward-era United signing if you ask me.
 

AndyJ1985

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In hindsight I'm happy he wasn't interested in joining us. Imagine being stuck with Sanchez and Bale on a combined million quid a week.
 

Catt

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In hindsight I'm happy he wasn't interested in joining us. Imagine being stuck with Sanchez and Bale on a combined million quid a week.
Never been a big fan of Bale so I'm happy he's Madrid's problem.
 

settembrini

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Can never really work out whether Madrid, as in Perez, should deem Bale's tenure there a success or a failure, and I also think it's only Madrid on the entire planet where playing so few games, but having a key impact in the Champions League almost solely, would be enough to justify such a massive outlay.

He's got 4 European Cups there, ffs! Being an important component in a fair amount of them - actually, when I phrase it like that, I'm thinking, even in hindsight, there's a number of clubs, including ourselves who would have coughed up the money and had him as a crock if they could have just rolled him out for the Champions League and had him have the same impact on the competition.
I think Bale's contribution to Madrid's CL success is vastly overstated tbh.

13/14: 12 games, 6 goals. 2 important goals in the quarter final and final. Key player.
15/16: 8 games, 0 goals. Apart from a penalty in the shoot out he was fairly useless for them.
16/17: 8 games, 2 goals. 2 relatively meaningless goals in the group stage is nothing to write home about.
17/18: 7 games, 3 goals. 1 relatively meaningless goal in the group stage and then an amazing goal in the final + Karious blunder.

You have to give him a lot of credit for their 13/14 win but after that it's just one overhead kick in three years. I look at Ronaldo's contribution to those trophies (60 goals in 49 games) and it's impossible to imagine their success without him but Bale feels more like an extra who had a memorable scene than a leading man.
 

Fortitude

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I think Bale's contribution to Madrid's CL success is vastly overstated tbh.

13/14: 12 games, 6 goals. 2 important goals in the quarter final and final. Key player.
15/16: 8 games, 0 goals. Apart from a penalty in the shoot out he was fairly useless for them.
16/17: 8 games, 2 goals. 2 relatively meaningless goals in the group stage is nothing to write home about.
17/18: 7 games, 3 goals. 1 relatively meaningless goal in the group stage and then an amazing goal in the final + Karious blunder.

You have to give him a lot of credit for their 13/14 win but after that it's just one overhead kick in three years. I look at Ronaldo's contribution to those trophies (60 goals in 49 games) and it's impossible to imagine their success without him but Bale feels more like an extra who had a memorable scene than a leading man.
Even if we halved it to campaigns where he scored in finals, Real would pay for that kind of return given how covetous they are of that trophy.

However, one thing Bale does when he's on the pitch, even when not scoring, is force the opposition to cater to his pace and threat on the counter, in turn, that enables his team to encroach in ways they cannot if a slower, less dynamic player is on instead.

With two incisive passers inside of him and the ever-presence of Ronaldo, it was a beneficial unit for all involved. No Ronaldo, and a still-crocked Bale, and the dynamic changes for everybody. They should have offloaded him in the summer, really.
 

Irish Jet

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Would it really be?
Yes.

He was already obsessed with him in 2013.

Signed Falcao and Sanchez on crazy wages despite the red flags that were around them. Bale would be one of the most marketable players in the clubs recent history. Even with a DOF and a new manager, people are naive if they this club's priorities are going to drastically shift away from it's business model.
 

Neil_Buchanan

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He should leave as soon as possible and accept a huge pay cut in order to sign for the right team rather than continuing to fade away at Madrid. There's very little difference in being a retired footballer with £64 million in the bank and being a retired footballer with £58 million in the bank.
 

Catt

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Yes.

He was already obsessed with him in 2013.

Signed Falcao and Sanchez on crazy wages despite the red flags that were around them. Bale would be one of the most marketable players in the clubs recent history. Even with a DOF and a new manager, people are naive if they this club's priorities are going to drastically shift away from it's business model.
Falcao was a loan as we know, so not much of a gamble. Sanchez was probably looked at as too good to turn down back then.

United tried for Bale in 2013 and apparently in 2016. There's no chance of the club signing him now.
 

the_irish123

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According to MARCA, Madrid are looking to ship him this next window. They usually get things right for Madrid.
 

Bwuk

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According to MARCA, Madrid are looking to ship him this next window. They usually get things right for Madrid.
What’s the odds we manage to ship Sanchez off to China and Bale comes in to replace him on similar wages
 

Needham

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Think he'll come to the Premier League, he's rumoured to be learning English.
 

Zlatan 7

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I’d honestly love him to come here, I know he’s older now and a few years ago would have been better timing but he’s lethal.
I’d be more than happy with moving Sanchez on after that gamble hasn’t reallly worked and taking a new gamble on Bale.
 

Minimalist

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Retiring and playing golf full time imagine...

Wouldn’t want him near United at this stage.
 

Adisa

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No...just no. We need young hungry players not guys trying to rekindle former glory.
 

reddaz71

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I wanted Bale at Utd more than anyone or anything the last 3/4 years but can categorically say that this boat has now absolutely sailed.
 

Oldyella

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feck him. Don't want him, we would just be seen as a soft touch taking Real's cast off.
 

settembrini

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I saw a rumour somewhere that Madrid might try and swap him for Hazard in the summer which would be hilariously bad for Chelsea.
 

Relfy

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Swap deals being rumored but they rarely happen, though with Madrid not having as much dosh asthye did and their desire for Hazard, this one could have some legs.

A good move for him would be Bayern. Ribery and Robben are coming to the end, and I think I even heard that their contracts aren't being renewed. It would make sense on the pitch, but transfer fee, wages, etc., would likely stop this from happening unless Madrid subsidise his salary.
 

2mufc0

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Will see how much Woodward has really changed, this is the type of signing he normally loves to make.
 

Litch

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Strange one cause I'm not sure whether he'll look back and view his career has being a success which sounds stupid considering what he's won. I think his problem is I'm unsure amongst all the other players inc CR7 how much he contributed to them winning. Whilst I'm not saying it should have been here, would have been good to see him back in the prem a couple of years ago.....