Gareth Bale ‘wanted to ‘make Chinese football great’ as agent rules out Tottenham transfer return from Real Madrid
GARETH BALE “wanted to make Chinese football great” after receiving an offer that was “impossible to refuse” last August.
The Welsh wizard’s trophy-laden spell at Real Madrid almost came to an end in the summer after boss Zinedine Zidane publicly stated he was free to leave.
And the 30-year-old had his heart set on a move to Asia following a big-money offer from the Chinese Super League – but the Galacticos refused to sell him.
Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett made the admission during an interview with AS – but he insists the rumoured Tottenham target won’t be going anywhere this year.
He said: “He got an offer that was impossible to refuse. But Real Madrid wouldn’t sell him. They [the Chinese club] couldn’t pay what Madrid wanted.
“He wanted to create a legacy. He wanted to bring Chinese football up. He had a vision that he could make Chinese football great. He’s won everything that he can win, and he’s done it many times.
He got an offer that was impossible to refuse. But Real Madrid wouldn’t sell him.
Jonathan Barnett on Gareth Bale's nearly move to China
“It was to create a legacy, his name, to be the first great player to go to China. But it wasn’t to be… And the money was special too. It would have made him the highest paid player on Earth.
“He’s not interested in going anywhere. China was a completely different thing. He plays for Real Madrid, you know.”
Bale, who is out of contract in 2022 at the Bernabeu, was heavily linked with a deadline day return to Spurs.
But Barnett says a second spell in the Premier League is extremely unlikely.
He said: “It’s what his lifestyle wants. He loves Madrid. His children have been there since they were babies, they speak Spanish, believe it or not. The whole lifestyle is fantastic.
“I was there two days ago in Madrid, it was 15 degrees, beautiful. Here it’s freezing cold. If you’re one of the greatest footballers to have ever played, why do you want to…”
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It is widely-believed Bale almost did come back to England when Manchester United tried to sign him in 2017.
And Barnett added: “Every club wanted him. He was happy at Madrid. He was not for sale then, he was one of the best players in the world.
“He’s not for sale now. Real Madrid have always shown great respect for him, the president has always been a Bale fan and shows him unbelievable respect.”