Real Madrid are prepared to let Gareth Bale leave on a free transfer this summer in order to offload the Welsh forward's wages and to free up space in the squad's non-EU quota, according to Spanish media reports.
Bale, who joined Madrid in a then world record €100 million deal in 2013, has fallen out of favour in recent seasons under manager Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman made no secret of his desire to let Bale leave last summer and the Wales international was close to a lucrative move to China before Madrid pulled the deal.
Despite starting the season encouragingly, Bale has not scored for Madrid since September and has only played three times this year as Zidane appears to be once again freezing the player out of his plans.
Now according to Marca, Madrid have reached a point where they are willing to let Bale leave on a free transfer at the end of the season in order to shed his €17m-a-year salary from their wage bill. Bale, 30, still has two years to run on his existing contract, so Madrid could plausibly seek a transfer fee from potential suitors, although there was a distinct lack of interest last summer.
As well as the financial motivation to offload Bale, Madrid are facing the prospect of the Welshman taking up one of their non-EU player slots once Brexit is fully completed in January next year.
While Bale has had his detractors during his time in Madrid, particularly as injuries have limited his impact in recent seasons, he has still played an important role in the club's success, including four Champions League titles, the 2017 La Liga crown and the 2014 Copa del Rey - when he scored one of the great goals in Spanish football history in the final against Barcelona.
