Real Madrid admit mistake over blocking Bale's £1m-a-week move to China last summer

Things haven't been going well for Gareth Bale at the Santiago Bernabeu in recent years, particularly under Zinedine Zidane. Things took a turn for a worse when the Wales international requested the manager not to include him in the Real Madrid squad to face Manchester City in the Champions League, citing a lack of game time. His recent behaviour hasn't gone unnoticed, with the Real Madrid hierarchy now accepting their mistake at blocking his move to China last summer. 

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Bales requests Zidane to exclude him from squad for Man City vs Real Madrid

Bale's exclusion from the squad for the Man City vs Real Madrid game raised many eyebrows. In an interaction with the media ahead of the game, Zidane revealed that it was Bale himself who requested he be excluded from the squad. The Real Madrid manager went on to rubbish rumours suggesting a conflict between the two, saying that the two enjoy a cordial player-manager relationship. 

Bale's antics off the field haven't gone unnoticed by the Real Madrid board. The winger was criticised after he was seen napping (or pretending to do so) on the bench during the final stretch of LaLiga. On another occasion, he mocked the manager for not relying on him. The Real Madrid hierarchy now accedes that they committed a mistake by blocking his move to China last summer. 

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Bale was set for a China move last summer 

Bale was on his way to ply his trade in the Chinese Super League the previous summer. The Welsh winger had reportedly agreed a £1 million-a-week move to China (€1.1m/$1.3m). According to Spanish media publication AS, Bale's move to Jiangsu Suning failed to materialise because the Chinese side were angling for a free transfer. Jiangsu coach Cosmin Olaroiu revealed that Real Madrid had initially agreed the free transfer, but later changed their mind.

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Real Madrid look to sell off Bale

Having joined the club in 2013 for a then world-record fee, Bale earns a mammoth €400,000 a week according to The Guardian. He is bound by a contract that runs until 2022. However, it appears very unlikely to that he will complete his deal, with Real Madrid looking to reap financial gains rather than letting him leave on a free transfer. 

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Image courtesy: Gareth Bale Instagram