Gareth Bale's agent has ruled out any chance of his client leaving Real Madrid on loan as the impasse over the Welshman's future rumbles on.
Bale's future in Spain appears bleak after manager Zinedine Zidane said Madrid were in talks with an unnamed club over the player's transfer and that his departure would be in his best interests.
"There will be no makeshift deals to get him out of the club," Bale's agent Jonathan Barnett told Sky Sports News on Tuesday.
"Gareth is one of the best players on the planet. I can guarantee you he will not be going on loan to any club."
Barnett has already taken aim at Zidane this week, branding the Frenchman a "disgrace" after telling reporters following Saturday's defeat to Bayern Munich that the club were "working on his departure", adding that he hoped it happens soon, "for everyone's sake".
Barnett's remarks are the latest development in what now looks an irreparable breakdown in the relationship between club and player.
Bale became the world's most expensive footballer when he moved to Madrid from Tottenham in 2013 for £85 million (Dh389m).
Despite scoring over 100 goals and winning a host of trophies, including a La Liga, Copa del Rey and four Uefa Champions League titles, he has been marginalised since Zidane's return to the dugout in March. Bale played 90 minutes in just three of the remaining 11 La Liga matches of last season, was left out completely four times and frequently substituted when he did play.
He was also the subject of boos from the Bernabeu faithful who have long tired of his constant injuries and perceived failure to integrate into Spanish society.
Bale's Madrid contract runs until the summer of 2022 and it remains to be seen whether he will stay in the Spanish capital or accept a pay cut to join another club. Bayern and Manchester United are long-term admirers, but, given the Welshman's age and history of injury problems, any move is likely to hinge on Bale taking a significant hit on his reported €17 million (Dh70m) a year salary at Madrid.
A move to cash-rich China has also been mooted, with Super League clubs Jiangsu Suning and Beijing Guoan both linked to the player in media reports.
"Gareth is a Real Madrid player and for now he's staying as a Real Madrid player," Barnett added.
"If something comes along that suits us then things could change and he could be gone in a day or a week. Or he could still be a Real player in three years when his contract ends."
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Gareth Bale's nine best moments at Real Madrid
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September 2013: Villarreal v Real Madrid – debut goal. After the start to his Real Madrid career was disrupted by injury, Gareth Bale scored his first goal for his new club against Villarreal in a La Liga game at El Madrigal Stadium. Getty -
November 2013: Real Madrid v Real Valldolid – the perfect hat-trick. Bale started to realise the demands of Real Madrid fans after being criticised for his display in the Clasico defeat to Barcelona in October. He responded by going on a red-hot run of goalscoring form, which included his first Madrid treble in a 4-0 win over Valladolid. It was a perfect hat-trick, too: left foot, right foot, header. Getty -
April 2014: Real Madrid v Barcelona - Copa del Rey final winner. The crowning moment of Bale’s debut season at Real Madrid. With the score level at 1-1, Bale scored one of the greatest goals in Spanish football history, burning Barcelona defender Marc Bartra for pace, sprinting half the pitch, before sliding the ball home for an 85th minute winner. Getty -
May 2014: Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid - Champions League final goal. Bale stepped up once again on the biggest of stages. After the Champions League final seemed to be heading to penalties, Bale scored to give Real Madrid a 2-1 lead in extra time. Real went on to win 4-1 and claim their 10th European Cup. Getty -
December 2014: Real Madrid v San Lorenzo - Club World Cup final goal. In a season blighted by more injury problems, Bale scored in his third major final for Real Madrid, netting the second in a 2-0 win over San Lorenzo to win the Fifa Club World Cup. Getty -
December 2015: Real Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - four-goal haul. Bale produced the most prolific performance of his Real Madrid career when he scored four goals in a 10-2 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. Three weeks later, he scored another hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Deportivo. Getty -
May 2018: Real Madrid v Liverpool - Champions League final match-winner. Bale was finding himself increasingly marginalised by Zidane and was among the substitutes for the Champions League final against Liverpool. Called off the bench with the score at 1-1, Bale scored one of the greatest goals in Champions League history with a spectacular overhead kick. He scored again to steer Madrid to a 3-1 win and their third successive European Cup. Getty -
December 2018: Fifa Club World Cup - player of the tournament. After the exit of Zidane, Bale resumed a more important role under eventual successor Santiago Solari and was central to Madrid’s Club World Cup triumph in Abu Dhabi. He scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against Kashima Antlers before Madrid beat Al Ain in the final. He was named player of the tournament. Getty -
February 2019: Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid - 100th goal. On February 9, 2019 Bale became just the 15th player in Real Madrid’s history to score 100 goals for the club when he struck in a 3-1 win away to city rivals Atletico. Bale has since moved on to 102 goals, placing him 14th on Madrid’s all-time list. Getty
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Bale is currently in Washington DC as Madrid prepare to face Arsenal in the International Champions Cup on Wednesday but is almost certain to play no part. Zidane claimed after the defeat to Bayern in Houston that Bale had refused to play and defended himself in his pre-match press conference Monday that he had disrespected Bale.
Zidane said: "I want to be very clear about this. Firstly, I have not disrespected anybody and least of all the player.
"I have always said the same, the players are the most important and every time I am with a player here I will be with them always.
"Gareth is a Real Madrid player. That is the most important thing, he is a player for the squad," he added.
