In football and in life, there are times you must admit when something just doesn’t fit into your environment. Real Madrid did an impulse buy in August 2013, as the market closed and Özil was on his way to Arsenal, Florentino Pérez took out his checkbook. A player the club had been following for a while was finally able to achieve his dream and play with Los Blancos.
After a splurge of 94 million euros, the Welsh star arrived hungry for titles and with the award for the Premier League’s best player of the year. Despite suffering a few setbacks throughout the season, he scored 22 goals and also assisted 17 times. This was absolutely amazing, as he complemented Ronaldo’s 50+ goals per season. On top of that, he was crucial in both finals the club won, including La Décima.
The story of Gareth Bale is very interesting, as he went from being a left back to a full-blown attacker. His long shots, dribbling, finishing, free kicks and his speed really were meant to be enjoyed closer to the rival’s area. We’ve seen him score a wide variety of goals for Real, including screamers, magical ones and just plain important ones. However, his adaptation to the team’s system has had mixed results.
With Cristiano Ronaldo owning the left wing since 2009, Bale had to be reconverted to function from the right. He has definitely improved with time, yet he seems disconnected from the rest of his teammates frequently during matches. Nevertheless, like any gifted player, he only needs one movement, one open space and one opportunity to become important in a match.
Since his first year was considered a success, the club and the fans expected a lot more for his second term. His physical form seemed exceptional in the summer friendlies, but when the real games came along, he didn’t contribute as much as he did before. The causes for this decrease in form are unknown, still everyone aims to see the best version of the Welsh in the key part of the year, when titles are won.
Because of these facts and the impending start of the winter transfer window, rumors have started to emerge about a potential departure from the World Champions. According to Guillem Balagué, Manchester United would pay a whopping €153 million to persuade him to join the Red Devils. Madrid have no intention of selling one of his biggest investments, in addition to a player who’s only 25 years old.
Despite the club’s initial intention, you never know and you can never say never in football. Pérez has been able to pull off the best sales of the club’s history, even making a profit by discarding Di María, Özil, Higuaín and others. A recent survey in one of Madrid’s most popular media outlets showed how fans are divided in this subject, as 53% of the participants would say yes to Bale’s exit.
Before the big decision is taken, Los Blancos will take all things into consideration. For now, everything will most likely be postponed until summer. If one thing’s clear is that it’s never easy to stay away from rumors if you play for Real Madrid.
