Gareth Bale: Bluebirds still the lead the way to bag Wales star
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Gareth Bale transfer odds and potential clubs
Gareth Bale’s trophy-laden nine-year spell at Real Madrid has come to an end as speculation turns to where he will be playing next.
The 32-year-old attacker barely played for Los Blancos in an injury-plagued final season in the Spanish capital but he helped Wales qualify for this year’s World Cup with some crucial goals, scoring twice in a 2-1 victory over Austria in the play-off semi-final and it was his free-kick against Ukraine that ultimately sealed a place in Qatar.
The former Tottenham star is keeping his cards close to his chest about his next destination, so let’s look at where he could be for the start of next season and the Gareth Bale transfer odds.
Cardiff City
Bale was thought to be contemplating retirement had Wales failed to qualify for Qatar, but his plans changed with a 1-0 victory over Ukraine which sealed a place at the World Cup for the first time in 64 years.
The five-time Champions League winner has been strongly linked with a return to hometown club Cardiff and is 4/9 to be playing for the team he supports.
His agent Jonathan Barnett has refused to rule out the possibility of the forward playing in the Championship in the Welsh capital, saying in a recent interview that “what Gareth does next is not about money”.
We’re going to the @FIFAWorldCup! A dream come true! @Cymru 🏴🐉 pic.twitter.com/IODneQsKcx
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) June 6, 2022
Bale has a home close to Cardiff’s training base, and national-team manager Rob Page has said such a move to a familiar facility that Wales also use “ticks all the boxes” and “makes a lot of sense”.
The man himself suggested the standard of football he plays before the World Cup does not make “too much of a difference”, opening the door to a move to Cardiff.
“It’s something I guess I need to sit down and go through,” Bale said. “Not just with my family, but with the manager here (Page), with the physios here that we use, to see what would give me the best chance of being fit come November and December.
“I don’t really know if the standard makes too much of a difference. A football game is a football game. I feel like I’ll never really lose my quality on the ball. I guess it’s a conversation to be had. I need time to think what’s the best move for me, my family, my kids, and hopefully we’ll sort that over the summer. I have options.”
Getafe
The Madrid-based club are next in line at 5/2 in the Gareth Bale transfer odds, although the winger has dismissed the notion he will join the Liga club.
Getafe president Angel Torres claimed that Bale had been offered to them for next season, but a few days later the Welshman ruled it out.
Confirming he has not made any decisions about his future, he laughed: “But I’m not going to Getafe, that’s for sure!”
Newcastle
The Saudi-owned club have cash to splash, but Newcastle may not be the right fit for Bale, who will need to tailor training and game time to suit his preparations for the World Cup.
Playing in the high-octane atmosphere of the Premier League looks unsuitabe for both parties, but Newcastle are still 7/1 in the Gareth Bale transfer odds.
Any MLS club
The pace is slower and lacks the quality of the Premier League and even the Championship, but with the MLS season ending in October, he will want to be in peak condition for the start of the World Cup, not twiddling his thumbs for six weeks waiting for the tournament to start.
Bale has said the quality of football is not his priority, though, and is 8/1 to join the MLS, but a move closer to home seems more likely.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
