What’s the story
Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale endured his worst season with the Santiago Bernabeu outfit in 2016/17, with his participation restricted due to various injuries suffered during the course of the campaign. The Welshman has been heavily linked with a move to Premier League giants Manchester United for the past 2 seasons and it appeared that following his injury-ravaged season he was heading towards the exit door.
However, according to English outlet Daily Mail, the 27-year-old is set to snub interest from the Red Devils to stay with Los Blancos and put his injury nightmare behind him. Bale has suffered 17 injuries during his 4-year stay with the Spanish giants.
In case you didn’t know…
Gareth Bale participated in only 27 games during the course of the 2016/17 season for the Spanish giants and scored only 9 goals while assisting another 5 – his worst return since his then world record move tor Real Madrid in 2013.
The winger was sidelined for close to 3 months with an ankle injury sustained in November and although he did return from it in time for the crunch part of the season, he was again sidelined towards the end of the campaign with a calf injury.
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The heart of the matter
Manchester United are long-term admirers of the former Tottenham Hotspur superstar and wanted to sign him in 2013, before he chose to move to Real Madrid in a £85.1 million deal – a fee since surpassed by the Red Devils’ capture of Paul Pogba from Juventus for £89.3 million. Jose Mourinho’s side were closely monitoring his situation so far in the window, having missed out on top target Antoine Griezmann – who only yesterday extended his contract with Atletico Madrid.
According to the report, the Welshman has no intention of leaving the Santiago Bernabeu outfit and is working hard to get to peak fitness and move on from the injury-plagued season he just endured. The 27-year-old’s family is also well settled in the Spanish capital and he is determined to prove his doubters wrong while also repaying the faith showed by Zinedine Zidane in him.
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Author's Take
Bale is, without a shadow of doubt, an excellent player and has the potential to take Real Madrid to the next level. Zinedine Zidane’s side just scripted history by becoming the first team in Champions League era to retain the coveted title, and they did that with minimal help from their prized possession.
If the Welshman can get back to peak fitness and manages to steer clear of injuries, Zidane is the man to make him the world-beater that Real Madrid had believed Bale to be. However, Bale’s intentions are a cause of concern for Manchester United as they need to shift their focus to another superstar as they look to assemble a team to challenge for top honours next season.
