Just when it looked like Gareth Bale was about to see the most lucrative deal in football, his move to China is apparently off.
The Welshman had been set to sign a deal with Jiangsu Suning which would see him earn around £1million per-week, making him the most well-paid player in football.
However, it looks like the transfer is now off. Bizarrely, despite Zinedine Zidane's hardline stance on his status at the club, Real Madrid have now pulled out of the deal.
The story was David Ornstein of BBC Sport.
Exclusive: Gareth Bale’s proposed move to China is OFF. As things stand, he will be staying at Real Madrid #RMFC
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 28, 2019
Understood Real Madrid called the deal off #RMFC
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 28, 2019
The Telegraph are reporting that club president Florentino Perez feels Bale is too valuable to be allowed to leave on the cheap.
One would also assume this could have something to do with the recent injury to Marco Asensio. The Spaniard suffered a anterior cruciate ligament injury during the recent friendly clash against Arsenal, which will keep him sidelined for the entirety of the 19/20 season.
With the club likely unwilling to invest in a big money replacement, keeping Bale on the books would seem a logical move. However, it appears that the player's relationship with his manager is non-existent.
Zidane recently had this to say when asked about Bale's future at the club:
“If it’s tomorrow it would be better.”
Zidane says he wants Gareth Bale to leave Real Madrid as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/lh1Kj6o64K— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 21, 2019
Bale did not play because he is very close to an exit. We hope he can leave soon, it is even possible tomorrow. We are working to finalise his move to a new team.
It will be interesting to see how the rest of the window plays out, but for now it seems Bale will be staying put.
