Days after Gareth Bale appeared to state his intention to return to Real Madrid next season, his agent Jonathan Barnett has poured cold water on any such talk and insists it’s too soon to discuss what will happen in the summer.
Bale is enduring a mixed second spell at Tottenham Hotspur this season, but he has another year left on his Real Madrid contract after his loan in north London comes to an end.
The Welshman had appeared to indicate a desire to return to Real Madrid, yet Barnett has played that down.
“[Bale‘s comments] were taken completely out of context,” Barnett told BBC Sport Wales.
“There’s no timescale [on a decision].
“He is just concentrating on now.”
Just a few days ago Bale himself appeared to suggest that his intention was to have another crack at things at Real Madrid.
“The main reason I came to Spurs this year was to play football first and foremost,” Bale said.
“Going into the Euros I wanted to be match fit. The original plan was to do a season at Spurs and after the Euros still have a year left at Real Madrid.
“My plan is to go back, that’s as far I have planned.”
It remains to be seen, then, what decision Bale will come to regarding where he wants to play next season.
Real Madrid may not be too keen on his return, however, as they look to the future and would like to free up the Wales international’s large salary.
With names like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland on Zinedine Zidane‘s wish list, cashing in on Bale, a player who is not in his plans, is likely to be the club’s preferred option.
