OPINION
Liverpool must take advantage of Gareth Bale’s availability this summer to end his Real Madrid nightmare.
The four-times Champions League winner appears even more surplus to requirements at the Spanish giants following the return this week of Zinedine Zidane.
As reported by Guillem Balague for BBC Sport, Bale and Zidane “do not get on”, and the Frenchman wants rid of him following the breakdown of their relationship at the end of his first spell at the club last season.
This offers the perfect opportunity for Liverpool and their sporting director Michael Edwards to pounce and sign a player who is still potent enough to make a huge impact in next season’s Premier League.
Bale has scored more than 100 Real goals, including one of the all-time great ones to crush Liverpool’s dreams in last season’s Champions League final, won everything there is to win, but badly needs a change of scenery to revive his career.
He needs an arm-round-the-shoulder manager like Jurgen Klopp, who will make him feel like a million dollars and has a style that is the polar opposite of the ‘silence is golden’ mantra of Zidane.
Can a deal be done for a player who can operate anywhere across the front three, as well as in a deeper playmaker role?
Yes. The Wales international’s £385,000-a-week salary looks more of a problem for Liverpool than the arbitrary £64million valuation placed on him by Real.
He would need to take a pay cut to return to the Premier League, whichever elite club sign him.
Much would depend upon Bale’s desire to be great again. He could thrive at Liverpool, who have the coaching staff and fanbase to give him the love he’s clearly not getting at the Bernabeu.
It would be a brilliant transfer for all parties.