Bale is "very close to leaving" Real Madrid, says Zidane
Ben Finnegan
@_BenFinnegan
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has revealed that Welsh winger Gareth Bale didn't feature in a pre-season friendly because "he is very close to leaving" the club.
The 30-year-old signed for the Spanish giants in 2013 for a world record fee of over €90 million (£77 million) and in that time has helped the team win four Champions League titles and a La Liga.
The Welshman had been left out of the Real Madrid squad for a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in a pre-season friendly in Texas.
The first team manager Zinedine Zidane said, "We hope he leaves soon, it would be best for everyone. We are working on his transfer to a new team.
"I have nothing personal against him, but there is a time where things are done because they must be done. I have to make decisions, we have to change.
"The exit is the coach's decision, and also of the player, who knows the situation. The situation will change, I do not know if in 24 or 48 hours, but it will, and it's a good thing for everyone."
Bale signed for Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 and has been linked with a possible return to north London. Speaking in a press conference after beating Italian champions Juventus in a pre-season friendly in Singapore, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino didn't rule out the possibility, "at the moment I don't have any information from my chairman.
"I don't know if we are or it's another club. I saw in the media but I do not know which club is going to sign him. I do not know if it is us or another club. It is the job of my chairman to build the best possible club."
The 30-year-old winger has made 155 league appearances for Real Madrid since 2013, scoring 78 goals in that time.
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Gareth Bale Real Madrid Tottenham Hotspur Zinedine Zidane
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