Gareth Bale ‘wants Premier League return’ with Real Madrid career looking doomed : The standard Sports

Gareth Bale is holding out for a return to the Premier League.

That’s the verdict of Spanish football expert Alvaro Montero, who believes the Real Madrid outcast would be willing to leave the Bernabeu – but only for a move to the English top-flight.

Bale has become an increasingly peripheral figure at the Bernabeu and played no part in Real’s final match at Leganes last month.

The 31-year-old last appeared for Real in a 2-0 home win against Real Mallorca in June.

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He has appeared indifferent to the stand-off between himself and the club through his touchline antics, which included pretending to be asleep while on the bench for a recent game against Alaves.

It seems he has no future at Madrid, but Montero reckons his huge wages could prevent him from leaving the Spanish capital.

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“We have to remember that, in the last nine games in La Liga, Zinedine Zidane only counted on Gareth Bale for one game,” he told Sky Sports.

“One year ago, I was in Washington with Zidane, the day he said it’s better for him [Bale] to go today, better than tomorrow.

“The truth is there was only one option – China [Jiangsu Suning made an offer for Bale last summer]. He didn’t want to go to China.

“He wants to return to the Premier League, but he earns €70m [five-year contract] at Real Madrid.

“There’s no club in the world, after a player that has been two seasons without playing more or less, who can pay for that. It’s a lot of money.

“So, I think it’s going to be a tricky situation but I am afraid he’s going to stay at Real Madrid.”

Bale, who is contracted until 2022, has won the Champions League four times since joining Real from Tottenham in an £85.3million deal seven years ago.