Gareth Bale: Real Madrid forward set to see out contract at Bernabeu, says agent Jonathan Barnett
Written by News on 23/01/2020
Gareth Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett says the forward is “fine” and will see out his contract at Real Madrid, despite speculation over his future at the Bernabeu in 2019.
Last year, Bale came close to leaving the La Liga giants amid a falling out with Real manager Zinedine Zidane, but talks broke down over his move to Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning.
The Welshman, 30, has struggled for form and fitness this season, making 12 appearances in the Spanish top flight.
However, Real boss Zidane insisted in December that Bale remains a part of his squad after missing two games for the club last month.
Speaking about Bale at the Association of Football Agents meeting in north London, Barnett said: “He’s got another two-and-a-half years left on his contract, and he’s fine. He will be there, everything will be fine.
“That’s what I’ve always said. I’ve never deviated from that.
“Things could change but loans are ridiculous. Not many clubs can afford him anyway. He’s happy, and hopefully, win a couple more things with them.”
Reports in Spain towards the end of 2019 linked Bale with another move to the Chinese Super League, with Shanghai Shenhua reportedly interested in his services.
On whether he would ever potentially return on loan to a Premier League club, Bale’s representative said: “He’s one of the best players on earth, why would he go somewhere on loan? That’s ridiculous.”
Wales manager Ryan Giggs defended Bale’s conduct in recent months after he celebrated his national side’s qualification for Euro 2020 by parading a banner with his team-mates that read: “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order”.
Despite a continually fractious relationship with Zidane, the forward was not punished for the gesture he made while away on international duty and his club team-mates were amused by it, although the incident drew staunch criticism in the Spanish media.
Due to illness, he missed Real’s Spanish Super Cup final victory on penalties over Atletico Madrid on January 12.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid, who are currently joint-top of La Liga alongside Barcelona, have recently signed 18-year-old Flamengo midfielder Reinier.
Paul Pogba is also likely to depart Manchester United in summer 2020, with Real as well as Juventus chasing his signature, according to Sky in Germany.
How to follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports
Sky Sports will bring you the very latest news from the January transfer market with the return of three shows.
Start your day with Good Morning Transfers at 9am as our team of reporters bring you the latest news and insight. Transfer Talk then follows at midday delivering analysis of the biggest stories. Then join us at 7pm for the definitive round-up of the day’s news with The Transfer Show.
Meanwhile, the Transfer Talk podcast will also be back at the turn of the year with more expert analysis from here and across the continent.
And as well as tuning into Sky Sports News, don’t miss a thing with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
(c) Sky Sports 2020: Gareth Bale: Real Madrid forward set to see out contract at Bernabeu, says agent Jonathan Barnett
