Amid the furore of unprecedented scapegoating from the Real Madrid fans – some, so disappointed with his performance against Barcelona they opted to attack his car when leaving the club’s carpark, as reported by ThisIsFutbol on Tuesday – the immediate future of Gareth Bale has emerged as one of the rumour mill’s biggest talking points as we edge towards the summer transfer window.
Indeed, the former Tottenham star has become a rather unpopular figure at the Bernabeu and resultantly, the Daily Mail have reported three Premier League clubs willing to take him of the European Champions’ hands this summer – Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. In other words, pretty much the only clubs in world football, with the exception of PSG and Real’s bitter rivals Barcelona, who could afford his potential transfer fee.
And according to the Mail once again, that fee will be a cool £75million – just £12million less than the record-breaking sum Los Blancos paid for the Welsh wizard in summer 2013. How can they be so sure? Well, it turns out Bale has a release clause of that precise figure set in his six-year Bernabeu contract.
Whether any of the three flagship Premier League sides can afford that whilst making other summer signings and complying with Financial Fair Play regulations however, remains to be seen. The Mail also claim the free-scoring winger will reject a return to England this summer to prove himself in the Spanish capital.