At last, the over-stretched saga of whether Gareth Bale will leave Real Madrid has come to an end. The 32-year-old who made the move from Tottenham Hotspur to Madrid back in 2013 for a whopping €101 million has finally bid goodbye to the club after nine years of service.
Bale, who played a pivotal role in securing the La Decima for the Los Blancos, has now made his way to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States of America where Los Angeles FC will receive his invaluable services.
Walking in the footsteps of David Beckham, who signed with the LA Galaxy back in 2007, Bale seems to like where he’s headed.
The Welshman endured a turbulent relationship with the fans and Spanish media because of his long unavailability at times, owing to a string of injuries.
Although he played a crucial role in the 2015/16 season but under Zinedine Zidane, the player soon faded and lost the trust of his manager and was often seen warming the bench.
Bale, who has been vocal about his likeness for Los Angeles, didn’t seem to hesitate when, after multiple meetings with the LAFC coach, Steve Cherundolo, his thoughts and plans aligned with that of the manager.
But the move to LA came at an enormous cost, a heavy-duty price that will shake the core of any business manager. The Welshman who was earning close to $33 million annually at Madrid, making him one of the most expensive players on Real’s roster, has now settled for a mere $1.5 million-a-year contract.
Bale was making $35 million at Real Madrid. The most he can make under the terms of the MLS salary cap on a TAM-only deal is $1.7 million.
He was going to take a pay cut after his Real years. But 95%? He could have made many times more, almost anywhere else.
“Innocent until proven guilty of course. But Bale made $38m before tax playing for Real Madrid and could have earned many times more in England than his official salary here. Why is he giving up so much? I don’t think the market in Europe is that damaged.” #DOOP#LAFC
Though, money was never on Bale’s mind when he planned to make the switch. He had already accumulated a considerable amount of wealth while playing in Spain, but to take a drastic pay cut clearly shows the tumultuous life a player will leave for new scenery and less noise.
But the MLS, which has a salary cap of $4.9 million for the entire senior roster of 20 players, has shelled out good dough to secure Bale. The ex-Real Madrid forward had secured a World Cup spot for Wales in Qatar, a historic feat, and will look to prepare for it in the US.
Giorgio Chiellini will join Bale at LAFC after being relieved by Juventus at the end of the 2021/22 season. The LAFC fans can surely expect some fireworks, especially from the five-time Champions League winner who can seal the season with yet another overhead kick that threw Liverpool off its perch.
