Real Madrid outcast Gareth Bale could leave in the summer as reports suggest the Wales international's professional relationship with Zinedine Zidane is beyond repair. And Bale's imminent exit is seen as the Los Blancos' way of wiggling out of his expensive salary that totals to more than £13 million per year.
Bale has only appeared in 11 La Liga fixtures in the season and the former Tottenham winger has reportedly complained of being the subject of professional abuse by Zidane.
The Sun said that since the Real boss has no clear plan on what to do with the Welshman, he has now become a financial liability for the Spanish giants "as his £13.4million-a-year wages are proving to be too costly, considering he plays a peripheral role in the team."
It is believed the Real boss would want to see Bale gone the soonest as the Frenchman is looking to sign younger replacements. The target last summer was Manchester United's Paul Pogba but since the exit of Bale did not materialize, the transfer negotiation was dropped.
It could be that Zidane will revisit the plan if Bale will get his ticket out of Madrid.
Where he flies next is still a mystery and a possible return to the Premier League could be out of the question, largely because of the player's high salary. He could make his way back to Tottenham but Bale's agent, Jonathan Barnett, has already ruled out such a scenario for the 30-year-old Cardiff native.
"Let's be realistic for most clubs he is out of their league, financially I mean," Team Talk reported the agent as saying.
It is more likely for Bale to play in MLS in the United States or reconnect with Jiangsu Suning in the Chinese Super League. The side was reportedly ready to pay the winger a weekly salary of £1 million last summer but the Real board pulled the plug on the deal at the last minute.
Barnett said Bale was looking forward to play in China, make a contribution to the country's league and create his legacy.
"He had a vision that he could make Chinese football great. He's won everything that he can win, and he's done it many times ... It was to create a legacy, his name, to be the first great player to go to China ... He wanted to create a legacy. He wanted to bring Chinese football up," the agent said.
However, Barnett also suggested that staying in Spain remains an option for Bale because "he has a lovely lifestyle," in the country.
If the situation will permit, "Gareth believes there is still a future for him at Real Madrid," Bale's agent said.
