Once Sensational Always Sensational? Why I Think Zidane Is Right By Aggressively Showing Bale the Door

It's hard to believe that a player that once was the most expensive transfer of all-time, is now regarded as deadweight. Gareth Bale, once a superstar, is most likely on his way out the door at Real Madrid and it isn't pretty.

For me, Gareth Bale is in a league of his own. Yes, he is playing well below his pay-grade. But he doesn't fall in line with the likes of Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil. Both players have failed to make impacts at their respected clubs and their wages are absurdly high. But Bale is a club legend despite his recent falling out. As Mitch stated in his last piece, Bale has stepped up time and time again in big moments. That's why I think there's still potential… but just not at Real Madrid.

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According to transfermarkt.com, Bale's highest market value was approximately $100 million. That was in 2016. Now, his value is approximately $67 million. That's a pretty steep tumble. And with a reported weekly wage of $ 437,000 is it smart to keep him around?

Perhaps the Welsh international will win them another major trophy but he is costing the club serious money. He's done little to fill Cristiano Ronaldo's shoes but that is something I don't think any player is capable of. Anyways, I think the departure of Ronaldo really shined a light on Bale's struggles.

So is Real manager, Zinedine Zidane wrong for his recent comments? According to Goal.com Zidane said "We hope he leaves soon, it would be best for everyone. We are working on his transfer to a new team". This is crazy. Zidane came out and said what everyone has been thinking. And if you genuinely think that Real isn't overpaying for Bale, then you're nuts. For me, Zidane's comments are a bit disrespectful but he has a job to do and that is to win trophies.

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When Zidane stepped down as Real Madrid manager, he had more trophies to his name than loses. An absurd statistic. And this is why I don't question his comments regarding Bale.

Something people are seeming to forget is that Bale is content in Madrid. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Well no but if we are being honest it is. Bale has three years left on his contract. That most likely means three more years of drastically overpaying him. He needs a push out the door and I think Zidane did just that. A smart move although it does come off as disrespectful.

Believe me, I want nothing more than for Bale to ball-out for the remainder of his tenure at Real Madrid. When he's at the top of his game he is easily one of the best players on the planet and what he can do is nothing short of sensational. But from a business standpoint, Bale needs to go.

India Today

So were to for Bale?

I've seen rumors linking him to China. That for me is a god-damn joke. Bale is way too good for China and at only 30 years old, he has some solid years left. Sending him to China might yield massive profits for Real Madrid, but if I'm Bale that's the last place I want to go right now.

Return to the Premier League

How about back to Spurs? Boy, wouldn’t that be exciting? They aren't in dire need of his services but they definitely could use him to add depth to their attack. With Fernando Llorente not with the club anymore, perhaps he could be Harry Kane's understudy? And He could challenge Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura for playing time on the width. The question remains: Is Tottenham willing to pay him his huge wages? Perhaps they could talk Madrid down and if they do I think Bale would be a great addition.

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Manchester United? I feel like this wouldn't be a smart move for the Red Devils. Moving for Bale would mirror past moves in which they signed players like Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao. Signings that generated headlines but the players failed to make their impacts felt at the club. United are in the midst of a rebuild. I don't think gambling on Bale and his price-tag are worth it right about now.

Manchester Evening News

Bayern?

I think Bayern would be a great fit for Bale. The only thing is would Bayern be willing to splash on him? To me, Bayern Munich is one of the smartest clubs financially speaking. They seem to always make great moves and they need some added depth at the winger position. Serge Gnabry. Kingsley Coman and Alphonso Davies make up their winger core. Average age between the three? Approximately 21 years of age. Perhaps they need an older more experienced player to help them out. Even so, does that experienced player come in the form of an overpaid Gareth Bale? Bayern is a smart club, I doubt they gamble on Bale but for the right price why not?

DW

There really is no telling what the future has in store for Garreth Bale other than his future with Real looks like it's coming to a close. It's a shame he fell off last season considering how electric he once was. His performance in the 2016 European Championships was nothing short of sensational and that's the Bale people know and love. It just stinks that we haven't seen than in quite some time.

Yes, Zidane's comments were blunt, but with how poor the club performed last year and with how much money Bale requires, I don't blame him. It's just a shame that it's come to this. Bale had the potential to take over the team after Ronaldo left. Instead, he's aggressively being shown the door.

Fox Sports

Best Case Scenario: Zidane bluffing in order to get Bale back on his game.