Man Utd, Arsenal and five Premier League candidates to sign Bale

Robin Bairner

• 16 May 2022 19:20 BST
• 4 min read

Gareth Bale will leave Real Madrid at the end of his contract and is set for a transfer back to the Premier League.

What was a matter of speculation for many long months has now been confirmed by agent Jonathan Barnett as being the likeliest outcome for the Wales international star, though a caveat has been thrown in that his future is tied to his nation’s World Cup fortunes.

Although Bale has been peripheral for Real Madrid this season, he is a player who will still be coveted back in the Premier League, where he showed at the tail end of the 2020/21 season on loan at Tottenham that he can be a force.

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Boasting huge wages, Bale will likely have to take a pay cut over the duration of his next contract, but where will he wind up?

Wages are unlikely to be his motivation behind his next move, with participation in the World Cup set to be his big goal. That likely means plenty of playing time is his priority – but of course he will still want to be at a competitive club.

Southampton

A left-field option, no doubt, but Bale has history at St Mary’s and a return to the south coast club would provide him with the opportunity to be a pivotal figure from which a team could be built around.

Saints typically prefer to sign players with greater sell-on value, but the arrival of Bale could provide them with the offensive impetus that they will lose should Armando Broja move back to Chelsea.

Of course, his wages would be an obvious hurdle.

Arsenal

Could Bale really make a switch to Arsenal this summer? After all, they are probably the club that needs him the most of England’s elite sides.

The upsides to this deal are obvious, but so is the downside: the Gunners are Tottenham’s greatest rivals and crossing that divide is likely to prove too much of an obstacle for the deal to happen.

Manchester United

Associated with a move for Bale for years, it seems almost inevitable that Man Utd will be mentioned in dispatches this summer given he is available for free.

The Wales international could team up with Cristiano Ronaldo again, having enjoyed a productive spell with him previously at Real Madrid, while there is a lack of quality width in the Old Trafford side’s squad. Furthermore, he could provide an alternative to the Portuguese when required.

Could he fit into the plans of new manager Erik ten Hag? Only the Dutchman could answer that.

Tottenham

Tottenham will inevitably be one of the clubs associated with him, but a third return to Spurs seems difficult to envisage unless this is the year that Harry Kane departs – something that does not look on the cards at present.

Antonio Conte prefers a 3-5-2 system, which means Bale is unlikely to get the game time he may wish, yet the opportunity to return to a club that feels like ‘home’ may still feel like a low-risk option for Bale.

Certainly, he could provide them with an additional quality option in attack that they otherwise lack, while the Italian’s uncertain future also plays into his favour.

Newcastle

Money rich and in need of a name like Bale to further validate their project, the Wales international is an obvious candidate to move to St James’ Park this summer. He could provide the Magpies with a high-quality attacker, which they are missing, plus pick up wages comparable to those he earns in Madrid.

The lack of European football might actually be of benefit to him in this case, as he will not want to be burned out before the World Cup, so this is a solution that could fit both sides perfectly.