Real Madrid Would be Mad to Allow Gareth Bale to Leave this Summer

Bale provides timely reminder

It’s generally accepted that succeeding in life is sometimes down to luck, but more often than not, it’s being in the right place at the right time and taking advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself.

A matter of timing if you will.

With the accuracy of a Swiss watch, Gareth Bale gave Real Madrid a huge reminder of what he is capable of over the weekend against Las Palmas.

Goals, leadership, pace, power… the Welshman showcased it all, and in so doing, handed Zinedine Zidane a real headache ahead of Los Blancos’ Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Juventus.

Will the Welshamn be benched in Turin?

If rumours are led to be believed, because Bale played the 90 minutes in the Canary Islands and also had a huge part to play for Wales in China, then Zidane will start him on the bench in Italy.

That’s despite the fact that he’s clearly a man in form, unlike Karim Benzema – also on the score sheet on Saturday – who has woefully underperformed throughout the season.

Such blinkered vision from the coach has, perhaps, authored and underscored some of their poorest performances and results in 2017/18, so, in their biggest game of the campaign to date, surely Zizou has to pick Bale as one of the starters?

When fit, Bale has to be in the starting XI

It’s alleged that the winger has kept himself to himself over the last few weeks, and that’s been something that has antagonised the coach and the senior players.

Maybe his behaviour off the pitch sent a message that he’s already accepted his future is away from the Santiago Bernabeu. But that shouldn’t detract from his service on the pitch.

When he’s fit and firing he is one of Real’s best players, and if the 90 minutes played at the weekend is the barometer from which to measure him, then Tuesday night’s match winner is right there.

A terrible time with injuries offered Zidane the choice of bringing in other players – Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez for example – at Bale’s expense, and also to tinker with different systems.

Whilst both of the youngsters have similar elements in their game to Bale, neither can match him aerially nor do they dovetail as well with Cristiano Ronaldo.

The solution would be to remove Benzema from the firing line, but that’s not going to happen.

To stay or to go?

Instead, there appears to be a genuine chance that Real would rather sell the Welshman in the summer than address the situation – a striker that isn’t hitting the net week in and week out has to be dropped – head on.

Manchester United are currently  favourites to sign Bale in the summer, and with Jose Mourinho doing the spadework during the pre-season meeting between United and Real, and considering the way things are going, it’s something that could gather pace in the next couple of months.

Heading back to Tottenham for their first season in their new home is at , whilst a clutch of other clubs (Chelsea, Man City and more) are at  upwards.

That the 28-year-old could be plying his trade back in the Premier League come August is, frankly, scandalous.

Florentino Perez should think very carefully indeed before he decides to cash in on a player who still has much to offer. But let us not forget, this is the president who sacked Carlo Ancelotti after winning the Champions League…