Shropshire Star

Bale will not be leaving Real Madrid in January and unlikely this summer – agent

The 30-year-old Wales international has a contract at the Bernabeu until 2022.

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Gareth Bale will not be leaving Real Madrid in January and is also “very unlikely” to depart the club this summer, according to his agent.

Jonathan Barnett has addressed question marks over Bale’s future by saying his client – who is contracted to Real until June 2022 – will be staying at the Bernabeu.

Barnett told ESPN that Bale is “going nowhere” while the January transfer window is open and is also “very unlikely” to move in the summer of 2020.

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Gareth Bale joined Real Madrid in 2013 for a then-world record fee (Adam Davy/PA)

Bale was on the brink of leaving for China last summer, while the Wales international has also been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League.

Manchester United and Bale’s former club Tottenham have both been suggested as possible destinations for the 30-year-old this month.

Bale joined Real from Spurs in 2013 for a then-world record fee of £85.3million and has won four Champions League winner’s medals during his stay in Spain.

But Bale has endured a difficult relationship with the Real fans and manager Zinedine Zidane, despite scoring over 100 goals for the club.

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Agent Jonathan Barnett says Gareth Bale is ‘going nowhere’ in January (Nick Potts/PA)

Barnett, who was unavailable for comment when contacted by the PA news agency, said last month that Bale was “not ecstatic” at Real.

But he added that “he has got a contract and as long as he is a Real Madrid player, he will play at 100 per cent”.

Bale was due to join Chinese club Jiangsu Suning last summer on a three-year deal worth a reported £1million a week.

But the move collapsed at the last minute and Bale remained in Madrid where he has made 14 appearances this season, scoring twice.

Bale has not scored for Real since his double in a 2-2 LaLiga draw at Villarreal on September 1.

Since his move to Jiangsu Suning fell through, the authorities in China have introduced a salary cap for foreign players.

From next year, foreign footballers will only be able to earn a maximum of 3million euros (£2.56million), after tax, so moving to China no longer looks an option for Bale.

Zinedine Zidane File Photo
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has had a strained relationship with Bale (Nick Potts/PA)

Real are currently in Saudi Arabia competing for the Spanish Super Cup and will play Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in the final after beating Valencia 3-1 on Wednesday.

Bale missed the Valencia win with a chest infection and has been ruled out of Sunday’s final.

“At the moment he is not ready,” Zidane said after the Valencia victory.

“He did not train this week. We have to speak to doctors.”

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