What is the next move for Gareth Bale?

Gareth Bale is HOT property. And he has set sight on a move abroad with Real Madrid or Barcelona supposedly in the hunt for the Welsh winger. Manchester United were linked with him but for now that seems unlikley. Let us see how he can fit into both teams:

At Real, Bale would provide competition to Marcelo at the left back position and to Fabio Coentrao/ Angel Di Maria at the left side of the `3` in the 4-2-3-1formation that Real prefer.

His growing versatility makes him a candidate for the CAM spot too but at the moment Kaka and Mesut Ozil seem better prospects there. Bale is fast and delivers good crosses so the likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema would benefit a lot from having him in the side.

His potency means that lesser focus shall go to the likes of Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo (when Bale gallops, defenders gulp!) and so the chances of them taking advantage of such a situation grow. He would command a fee of 28-34m pounds in my opinion. Given that he is 22, such a fee seems appropriate for him owing to his burgeoning reputation (remember how he absolutely murdered Maicon?) and it would increase the appeal of the club so it`ll be a good decision marketing wise too.

He and Di Maria can provide 90 minutes of non-stop threat from the left wing. For defenders, the prospect of facing the two over the course of 90 minutes would be positively terrifying! He can switch flanks with Ronaldo and play on the right wing as well. His versatility will add a new dimension to the Madrid attack and given the stature of the club and his hunger for success, this marriage (if it does happen) ought to be pretty successful!

Barcelona`s interest in Bale is well documented. Pep Guardiola has gone on record to shower praise on the player and current stars like Cesc Fabregas, Javier Mascherano and Gerard Pique know a lot about him from their time in England. Barcelona aim to use him as a left back. They want to have a Dani Alves on the left flank as well.

If Bale can create the same impact from the left which Alves does from the right, then its curtains for the opponents! They would have to contain not only the star attackers namely Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, David Villa, Pedro but also Alves and Bale. This would drive them crazy!

He can also play in an advanced role i.e. the role of the left winger in the 4-3-3 of Barca. That ways, he can provide cover for Pedro and offer a different option in attack. Alternatively, he can play in the false no 9 position which Cesc has excelled in. But that would be an option for the future rather than now.

In my opinion, a move to Madrid will suit him more than a switch to the Catalans. He is, in my opinion, a lot more effective when he plays like a direct winger ala Antonio Valencia does for Manchester United.

He will suit the fast style of play which Madrid has rather than the slow, intricate, 100 pass build up of Barca. Of course, the sight of him latching onto a Xavi wonder pass and slotting it past the keeper is one to look forward to but given that Barca prefer to play home grown players more, the likes of Tello, Pedro will play more and he won’t get to play in his preferred position as much as he wants.

The left wing back position isn’t one for him as he is much more adept at attacking than at defending. At Real, he would get more playing time and a team whose style matches his. His profile would be enhanced if he goes to either club but he would learn to play under the massive pressure at Madrid.

This is not to belittle the pressure at Barca but their comparative success doesn’t place that huge a burden on incoming players. Ronaldo and he can form a deadly wing combination and provide Higuain and Benzema with lots of chances.

The other option is that he doesn’t leave Britain but chooses to stay. In that case, a move to the giants of English football like United, Chelsea or a move to Manchester City may be on the cards.

Yashasvee Prasad

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Comments

[Benny B]

Gareth's next move is two streets nearer to his beloved WHL.,end of stupid rumours.

[tony]

Spurs would never sell him to an English club. Isn't going to happen, end of story. He's made it clear he expects to stay with Spurs for another couple of seasons, so Barca and Real will have to wait