Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has instructed his agent to find him a new club in the January transfer window after his latest spat with manager Zinedine Zidane, according to reports.
Bale, 30, was left out of the squad for a Champions League fixture against Club Brugge on October 1 along with James Rodriguez due to what Zidane said were concerns over both players' fitness.
"Yes, they were injured," Zidane said. "Everyone here is indispensable, all 25 [players], but they were the two injured ones and we didn't want to risk them."
Bale returned to the side for the Primera Liga match against Granada four days later but was omitted from the matchday squads for the subsequent defeat to Mallorca and the Champions League win away to Galatasaray.
Spanish daily Marca reported that Bale was unhappy about being left out for the game against Brugge, which ended in a 2-2 draw, with the Welshman believing the reasons were nothing to do with his health but more to do with Zidane's desire to push him out of the club.
As a result, Bale has reportedly told his agent, Jonathan Barnett, to sound out potential suitors for a January move, adding that the club were willing to let a player they signed from for £85 million (Dh389m) in 2013 leave for free.
Neither Bale nor his agent have yet commented on the latest reports.
The latest alleged spat between Bale and Zidane comes after a relative period of calm in their fractured relationship that reached boiling point over the summer when Zidane said the club were actively trying to sell the former Tottenham forward.
A move to the Chinese Super League was heavily mooted, with European clubs thought to be put off by excessive wage demands, reported to be €17 million (Dh70m) a year at Madrid, for a player with a history of injury problems.
Jiangsu Suning and Beijing Guoan were linked with a move for Bale but both were unwilling to meet Madrid's valuation for the player, with some reports saying the Spanish club were holding out for a fee of €30m.
Chinese clubs must match any transfer fee paid for a player with a donation to support the development of football in the country. A report in the Daily Mail on Tuesday said that mid-table Shanghai Shenua have emerged as the latest club from the cash-rich league to register an interest.
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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's Madrid contract runs until the summer of 2022 and it remains to be seen whether they will drop their valuation of a player that has scored over 100 goals for the club and won a host of trophies, including a La Liga, Copa del Rey and four Champions League titles.
Despite that record, Bale has often been subject of boos from the Bernabeu faithful who have long tired of his constant injuries and perceived failure to integrate into Spanish society.
Bale has played just 53 per cent of Madrid's matches in the last six seasons due to the 26 different injuries he has suffered.
Madrid, currently sixth in La Liga, are next in action on Wednesday when they take on bottom-club Leganes.
