Newcastle United are reportedly ready to shell out a sum of €20 million for Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
According to a report from El Nacional, Real Madrid outcast Gareth Bale has emerged as a transfer target for Premier League outfit Newcastle United, who are ready to pay €20 million to sign the Welshman.
Despite enjoying a lot of success with Real Madrid, Bale has always been a divisive figure in the Spanish capital club. Out of favour for a good part of the past couple of years or so, the 32-year-old spent the last season out on loan at former team Tottenham Hotspur, bagging an impressive haul of 16 goals.
The departure of Zinedine Zidane as manager and the return of Carlo Ancelotti meant that Real Madrid did not sell Bale in the summer. The ex-Tottenham Hotspur ace was even given a few opportunities early in the campaign before his fitness woes struck again. After scoring one goal in three games, he has not played since late October last year.
Bale’s contract with Real Madrid runs out at the end of the season. And there is absolutely no possibility of him being offered a renewal by the club. But, the 32-year-old might not have to wait until the summer to secure a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu as he is being offered a way back to the Premier League.
There have been recent reports of Tottenham wanting to re-sign him on loan for the rest of the season and make his transfer permanent when he becomes a free agent. Now, Newcastle United have also emerged as a potential suitor for the Welsh wing-wizard in the ongoing transfer window.
The Magpies are involved in the relegation muddle and are hoping to add some quality players to the squad who can help them out of their current predicament. Given the overdependence on Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson to produce the goods in the final third, adding more firepower to their attacking unit could be a smart move by Newcastle.
To that end, a move for Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been mooted, while Bale has also popped up on the radars of manager Eddie Howe as a prospective target. In order to make a move for the Real Madrid superstar happen, the Tynesiders’ new owners are ready to fork out a sum of €20 million and match his current wages.
Real Madrid would find such a proposal very much acceptable, given that they could end up losing Bale for nothing at the end of the season. What now remains to be seen is if Newcastle make an approach to Los Blancos to sign the 32-year-old.
