Gareth Bale should consider a Premier League return with Newcastle United or Aston Villa as he prepares to bring an end to a trophy-laden spell at Real Madrid, Tony Cascarino tells talkSPORT (31 May, 9.50am).
At least this most rollercoaster of relationships is ending with a handshake rather than a hammering.
As Bale hoisted the Champions League trophy into the Parisian night sky – the fifth time he’s got his mitts on ‘Ol Big Ears’ – the veteran Welshman was greeted by a standing ovation from the Los Blancos support inside the Stade de France.
It would be an understatement to say Bale and the Real Madrid fanbase have endured a bit of a ‘complicated’ relationship.
But as the five-time European champion signs off, with 16 trophies and over 100 goals under his belt, he can rest easy knowing that some at the Santiago Bernabeu have longer memories than others.
But the question is, with his contract expiring and just a few weeks out from his 33rd birthday, where next?
Could Gareth Bale return to the Premier League after Real Madrid exit?
“You could go either Newcastle or Aston Villa,” says Cascarino, the former Chelsea, Celtic and Villa striker.
“Would he go to any of those particular clubs, if the manager wanted him? I would think jump at it. Go and play! There are clubs that would take him but it’s got to be on a deal that suits the club.”
According to Marca, via the Daily Mail, Bale was the third-best paid player in Europe last term, taking home around £550,000-a-week while starting a grand total of just four La Liga games during Carlo Ancelotti’s second season at the helm.
The former Tottenham talisman would obviously have to take a dramatic pay-cut if he wishes to return to England, with Cascarino suggesting a play-as-you-pay deal may be preferable for his next club, if indeed there is to be one.
“Just say; ‘We’ll offer you something that excites you, come and show everybody in the Premier League’,” Cascarino adds.
“He’s 32. He’s not old! He could have one final hurrah. He’s two years younger than Benzema and five years younger than Ronaldo. Go and play for six months and you’ve got a World Cup to play in if you qualify.”
There’s still a world-class footballer in there somewhere. We saw glimpses of Bale’s devastating talents during a loan spell at Spurs just last season, a stint that ended with an impressive 16 goals in 34 games.
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