Wales coach Robert Page has surprisingly backed Bale to complete the move, as he believes this rumoured transfer makes sense.
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Gareth Bale is all set to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season. The flying winger’s contract with the Spanish champions will end this summer. After that, the Welshman will be a free agent, allowing him to join whichever club that is possible for him. This has led to a lot of speculations amongst fans on where they might see him playing football next season. Considering how Bale was a big name player and a record transfer signing when he moved to Real Madrid, some still believe he could join one of the big clubs across Europe. Despite not playing regularly for Madrid in recent seasons, some fans feel that he still has the potential to play for a top side.
In the midst of these speculations, some reports have gone as far as suggesting the possibility of Bale joining Championship side Cardiff City this summer. This season, Cardiff were not in the best of forms, having managed only an 18th-place finish. Hence, the latest report raises a lot of eyebrows as to why Bale would leave the champions of Spain to join a struggling second division side in England. However, Wales coach Robert Page has surprisingly backed Bale to complete the move, as he believes this rumoured transfer makes sense.
“It ticks all the boxes,” Robert Page was quoted as saying by bbc.com when asked about the idea of Bale joining Cardiff. “Ultimately, it’s Gareth’s decision and Cardiff City’s. And I think he’s right to say ‘Let’s throw full focus on to June 5′ [Wales’ World Cup qualification playoff]. Let’s get there first and have that discussion. We can carry on talking about it and guess and have our opinion on it, and it does make sense. It makes a lot of sense. He can base himself at a training ground he’s familiar with. Ultimately, let’s see what happens on the June 5 and I’ll probably be the first one after the game to ask the question.”
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Bale is part of the Wales’ squad for their upcoming World Cup play-off final on June 5. They will play the winners of the match between Scotland and Ukraine, which will take place on June 1. Bale will most likely link up with the national team after Real Madrid’s Champions League final against Liverpool. Other than Cardiff, he has also been linked with a reported return to Tottenham Hotspur or making a move to Major League Soccer in the United States of America.
Bale, who was born and raised in Cardiff, will get more game time if he moves to the English second-tier compared to a club like Tottenham. It could help his preparation with Wales if they qualify for the Qatar World Cup which will happen later this year. “If he was playing for Cardiff and we had qualified for the World Cup I wouldn’t change my thoughts or respect for Gareth whatsoever,” Page explained. “He would definitely be a part of the World Cup squad anyway. As long as he is out playing football – that’s the most important thing for us.
“When he turned up in March, he wasn’t playing but he had four, five, six weeks’ training under his belt so he had that stamina inside him to give himself the best chance. There is nothing like playing games. He won’t be match-sharp but he was still able to put a freekick into the top corner and score two goals in a big game for us. He will absolutely need to be part of a club and training, even if he is not playing, at that tempo with other players every day.”
