Gareth Bale Leaving Real Madrid? Talks Are Planned, Agent Says

Gareth Bale put his Real Madrid future in doubt immediately after the La Liga side’s third consecutive Champions League win in May owing to lack of playing time under former manager Zinedine Zidane.

The Wales international hinted that he could seek a move away while confirming that he will hold talks with regards to his position at the club in the summer before making a decision.

Bale was mainly used from the bench by Zidane and even in the Champions League final, he came off the bench to score the winner against Liverpool. The first of his two was a spectacular overhead kick that truly demonstrated the wealth of his talents.

The former Tottenham Hotspur winger was clearly unhappy, but seems to be more open to staying now that Zidane is no longer at the helm. The Frenchman announced his departure just a few days after the Champions League triumph.

Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett has now confirmed they will hold talks with the club — and his main criteria remains regular game time. The four-time Champions League winner is open to staying with the Santiago Bernabeu outfit if new manager Julen Lopetegui promises regular role in his starting XI.

“I think we have to have a chat with Real Madrid and see where we're going," Barnett told Sky Sports at Ascot, as quoted by the Daily Mail. “He wants a better year than he had last year. He wants to play more, and that's paramount to him. I think he's one of the top three or four players on earth. For somebody like him, he has to play. It's not about money."

“He wants to win the Ballon d'Or and I think he can. I think he's the best there has ever been in that sense (a British player abroad), unless someone can name me someone who's been more successful,” Bale’s agent explained. “I think that goal (in the Champions League final) elevated an interest in him. But we already knew how good he is. He doesn't need to prove how good he is. It was a magnificent goal and the timing was great too.”

Bale will not be short of suitors should he decide to leave the reigning European champions. Manchester United head the queue of clubs interested in signing the Welsh forward and are one of few clubs that can afford the transfer fee and his astronomical wages.

Apart from United, French giants Paris Saint-Germain and Premier League outfit Chelsea could afford Bale, who is likely to command much more than the £85m ($111m) they paid for him in 2013.

The Welshman’s former club Tottenham could also be interested, but it remains to be seen if they can match Real’s valuation. However, his agent revealed that Bale is happy in Spain, and if he is guaranteed regular football, he is unlikely to leave the La Liga giants.

“He loves his life in Spain,” Barnett said. “He has three children, and he's very happy there. But we have to see. He has to play football.”