Gareth Bale’s agent performs at Cardiff City after emerging as transfer favorite

Gareth Bale is set to leave Real Madrid this summer with Cardiff City, the surprise transfer favorites – and agent Jonathan Barnett has admitted there could be “many benefits” in a move back to Wales.

Video is loading

Video not available

The video will start playing automatically soon8thCancel

Play Now

Euro 2020: Bale laughs at speculation about Wales’ future

Gareth Bale’s agent has refused to quash the Welsh legend’s rumor that could seal a shock move to Cardiff City this summer.

Bale is set to leave Real Madrid after nine trophy-filled seasons in Spain. His next club’s destination has yet to be decided and the 32-year-old is expected to review his options once the season is fully over. Before that, he has a Champions League final for Madrid against Liverpool before Wales play the World Cup play-off against Scotland or Ukraine.

Speaking to Wales Online, Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett said: “What Gareth does next isn’t about money. It’s just going to be about what he wants to do at this stage in his career, where he wants to be. We’ll sit down and go Gareth wants to focus on what’s happening in Wales after the Wales games in June.

“He will then make a decision about the future once he knows exactly where Wales is. There will always be speculation from others, but not necessarily informed.”

When asked if Cardiff out of the Championship would be a credible option for Bale, Barnett admitted it would have “many pluses” and said: “Who knows?

“We will look and see in due course. But I repeat, at the moment there are no options on the table. Cardiff has many assets. He is from Wales, his family is from there. From a personal point of view, it could be appeal. But I stress this is my opinion, not Gareth’s. I didn’t discuss it with him.”

Cardiff manager Steve Morison has previously insisted the idea of ​​Bale joining his hometown club remains a pipe dream as long as the Bluebirds are in the Second Division.

Last month Morison said he had been in regular contact with Bale during Wales’ last training camp at the club but refused to accept the notion of a possible transfer.

He said: “Until someone calls me and actually says it’s an option – I’m not worried about that. Until someone calls me and says Gareth Bale wants to join Cardiff, then it’s an absolute pipe dream – no need to worry. Otherwise you will get caught up in what could be absolute nonsense.

“I saw him every day when he was here at the Wales camp, I said ‘hello’ to him every day, all he said to me was ‘make sure you beat Swansea!’ – that’s the only comment he made to me, beyond that there was no conversation about it (transmission).

“I’m not someone to get caught up in what’s — for the moment — a fantasy.”

City face a summer reset under Morison as they look to improve from a below-average 18th place finish last season.

They have already signed two players – St Mirren goalkeeper Jak Alnwick and Forest Green midfielder Ebou Adams – who will leave when their contracts expire next month.