The 36 million euro Bale out

105 goals in 251 games. 3 goals in Champions League finals. Maybe the funniest flag ever held by a player.

Gareth Bale has had some career. And it has taken a strange turn.

The man who scored arguably the greatest goal in a Champions League final ever and was for a time the world’s most expensive player now finds himself watching from the sidelines or sometimes receiving updates at the 18th hole.

Zidane said that his most costly bench-warmer “preferred not to play” in Madrid’s recent Champions League bout with Man City, which ended in Madrid’s exit from the competition.

It is thought that Bale was on his way out of Madrid to China in January. The deal would have increased Bale’s astronomical salary, provided him games and taken his hefty wage off Madrid’s wage bill; a win-win given a frayed relationship between player and club. At the last minute with the deal seemingly agreed, Madrid apparently asked for a fee on what had until that point looked to be a free transfer and the move fell apart.

Now we find ourselves watching Bale playing eye-spy and catching z’s.

Word is he is still training properly and is going to stick out the next two years of his contract with Los Blancos unless his 18 million euro salary can be matched or bettered elsewhere.

What is going on here?!

Would Zidane nonchalantly allow a big player to make himself unavailable through mere personal preference? Did he drop Bale and turn responsibility on the player as a PR move or did he actually play down the gravity of Bale’s refusal to be involved in an attempt to keep Bale’s potential transfer value high?

Does Bale want minutes? Is money now his driving factor? Or is this about putting his foot down on what he sees as mistreatment and a lack of appreciation from the club and its fans?

I’m fascinated to see how this long-running saga plays out.

As a football fan, I’d love to see him get a decent deal, go elsewhere and add his glistening performances back into the global footballing tapestry.

As a dramatist, there’s a curiosity to see how bad this will get if he sees out his time at Madrid. What other bench stunts can he pull? Does he have a better flag in him?

If he moves on and leaves a gap in the football drama landscape, you know where to go for your boredom bailout ↓↓↓