No loan move for Gareth Bale, says agent
But Welshman's options look limited, as Zidane hits back at 'disgrace' comments
Gareth Bale's agent has ruled out any temporary deal for the Real Madrid forward as the Spanish giants seek to offload the Wales international.
The 30-year-old is out of favour with Real and coach Zinedine Zidane has said the club are "working on his departure".
"There will be no makeshift deals to get him out of the club," agent Jonathan Barnett told Sky Sports television yesterday.
"Gareth is one of the best players on the planet. I can guarantee you he will not be going on loan to any club.
"If something comes along that suits us, then things could change and he could be gone in a day or a week. Or he could still be a Real player in three years when his contract ends."
Bale has won four Champions League titles since joining Real from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a then-world record transfer fee of 100 million euros (S$152.5m), but struggled to hold down a starting spot since Zidane returned last season.
Earlier yesterday, Zidane insisted that he had not "disrespected" Bale, claiming that it was the player who did not want to play in the 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich in last Saturday's International Champions Cup.
Zidane had said after the match that Bale had been dropped as the club were "working on his departure", prompting agent Barnett to label the coach a "disgrace".
But Zidane defended his conduct ahead of this morning's friendly with Arsenal in Washington D.C.
"At times, my Spanish is very suspect," the Frenchman told reporters. "I want to be very clear about this. Firstly, I have not disrespected anybody and least of all the player.
"I have always said the same, the players are the most important and every time I am with a player here, I will be with them always.
"Second thing, I said the club are trying to sell him. Third point, I think it is very important and crucial to say that the other day, Gareth did not (play) because he did not want to.
"He will train with the squad today but tomorrow is tomorrow."
Zidane is said to be frustrated as the promises that were made to him before he rejoined the club in March were not kept, reported the Daily Mail.
He wanted the club to sell Bale, and sign Eden Hazard and Paul Pogba. But, besides landing Hazard for 100m euros last month, there wasn't progress on Bale's exit, which would have expedited the move for Pogba.
Chinese Super League clubs Jiangsu Suning and Beijing Guoan have been linked to Bale in recent media reports, and have reportedly dangled lucrative offers in front of him.
But it might be hard for Bale to find other top clubs who can afford his reported weekly wages of £500,000 (S$850,000).
Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills believes Bale's options would be limited if he were to return to England.
Speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast Show, Mills believes that the only club who can afford his wages would be Manchester United, who do not look ready to challenge for titles.
Mills added that there are only two options left for Bale: Go to China, where he can continue to command high wages, or stay in Madrid, which looks increasingly unlikely. - REUTERS, AFP
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