Cardiff City are ‘stepping up their efforts’ to sign Wales icon Gareth Bale, a report from BBC Sport says.
Bale is out of contract at Real Madrid this summer, and after nine up and down seasons with the Spanish club, Bale is set to depart.
At 32 years old and still a key part of the Welsh national side, Bale looks to have a few more years left ahead of him, and a fairy tale transfer to his hometown team Cardiff City continues to be mentioned.
Now, BBC Sport say that Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman has flown to the UK to ‘lead negotiations’ over a deal for Bale, who has plenty of other options too.
The five-time Champions League winner is also being mentioned alongside a return to Tottenham Hotspur and a potential move to the MLS, as per BBC’s report.
Bale is said to be ready to take a pay cut ahead of his next move.
A realistic move?
It seems so. Bale to Cardiff City seemed like a far-fetched idea when it was first started to be mentioned, but it now seems to be a quite realistic option for the Welshman this summer.
And there’s no doubting what the benefits for Cardiff City would be. They’d be getting an icon of the game, a hugely experienced and decorated player who’s performed on the biggest stages for both club and country.
At 32 as well, Bale could still have some of his best years ahead of him and if he spends some of those years with Cardiff in the Championship, it’d give the Bluebirds a whole new threat.
Given the fact that Dalman has come to the UK to lead negotiations tells us that Cardiff are serious about the move, but it just depends on whether Bale fancies another big payday, potentially at Spurs or in the MLS, before he calls time on his impressive career so far.
