Gareth Bale will leave Real Madrid this summer with Cardiff City the surprise transfer favourites – and agent Jonathan Barnett has admitted a move back to Wales could have “a lot of plusses”
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Euro 2020: Bale laughs off speculation over Wales future
The agent of Gareth Bale has refused to kill off the rumour of the Wales legend potentially sealing a shock move to Cardiff City this summer.
Bale will depart Real Madrid after nine trophy-laden seasons in Spain. The destination of his next club has yet to be decided with the 32-year-old expected to assess his options once the season is fully over. Before then he has a Champions League final for Madrid against Liverpool before Wales’ World Cup play-off against either Scotland or Ukraine.
Speaking to Wales Online, Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett said: “What Gareth does next is not about money. It will be solely about what he wants to do at this stage of his career, where he wants to be. We will sit down and go through everything after the Wales matches in June. Gareth wants to focus on what happens with Wales first.
“He will then make a decision about the future once he knows exactly where Wales are at. There will always be speculation from others, but it’s not necessarily informed.”
Asked specifically if Championship side Cardiff would be a credible option for Bale, Barnett admitted it would “have a lot of plusses”, stating: “Who knows?
“We’ll look and see in due course. But I repeat there are no options on the table at the moment. Cardiff has a lot of plusses. He’s from Wales, his family are from there. From a personal point of view it could appeal. But I emphasise this is me talking, my views, not Gareth’s. I have not discussed it with him.”
Cardiff manager Steve Morison has previously insisted the idea of Bale joining his hometown club remains a pipe dream as long as the Bluebirds are in the second tier.
Speaking last month Morison said he was in regular contact with Bale during Wales’ recent training camp at the club, but refused to accept any notion of a potential transfer happening.
He said: “Until someone rings me and actually says that is an option – it’s not something I will worry about. Until someone rings me and says Gareth Bale wants to join Cardiff then it’s an absolute pipe dream – nothing to worry about. Otherwise you’re going to get caught up in something that could be absolute nonsense.
“I saw him every day he was here in Wales camp, I said ‘hello’ to him every day, all he said to me was ‘make sure you beat Swansea!’ – that’s the only comment he made to me. Outside of that there’s been no conversation about that (transfer).
“I’m not someone who is going to get caught up in something that is – at the minute – a fantasy.”
City are set for a summer reset under Morison as they look to improve on a below-par 18th place finish last term.
They have already signed two players – goalkeeper Jak Alnwick from St Mirren and Forest Green midfielder Ebou Adams – with a flurry set to depart once their contracts expire next month.
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