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What's the story?
Former Tottenham player Tim Sherwood has said that Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale would prefer a move to China rather than make a return to the Premier League. Sherwood cited Bale's exorbitant wage bills as the reason behind this decision.
In case you didn't know...
The Welshman has struggled to step up at Real Madrid following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from the club last summer. He has been in inconsistent form this season and injuries have also hampered the forward's performance.
Hence, the Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has reportedly decided that Bale does not have a future at the club and is keen on selling him this summer. Manchester United and Spurs' are the clubs who have been linked to sign the forward in the summer.
The heart of the matter
Another reason behind Real Madrid's decision to sell the Welshman is his annual salary which amounts close to €15million. If the club manages to remove this amount from their wage structure, it would help them in bringing in new signings.
However, Tim Sherwood is of the opinion that the Premier League clubs would be unlikely to afford this wage bill and hence, Bale could move to China in the summer. Speaking of the matter, Sherwood said,
“If he is looking to keep the same salary and lifestyle he has at Real Madrid, I think he’ll have to go to China."
"I can see that Bale is having a tough time of it at Madrid and that Zidane has given him the green light to leave, but I don’t think he wants to go and he has a big-money contract."
"I can’t see him going back to Spurs because I don’t think it would work financially. It would be romantic, but it would involve a huge fee and a massive salary, more than even Alexis Sánchez gets at Manchester United."
What's next?
Gareth Bale still remains a world-class talent despite his struggles at Real Madrid in his last few seasons. Hence, It would be interesting to see which club the Welshman would play next season if he leaves Real Madrid.
