Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale in talks with the club over bumper new contract

The Welsh superstar is said to be very close to agreeing a contract extension with the defending Champions League winner, Real Madrid according to a Spanish media outlet

Spanish radio station, Cadena Ser, have claimed that an agreement between Gareth Bale and Real Madrid for extending his contract by three years till 2022 has been reached, with only the official announcement pending, which should be formally done in the upcoming weeks.

By the virtue of the extension, Bale’s new release clause will be reportedly a massive €500 million (£452m), an amount that would surely scare away any potential buyers with Manchester United being one of Bale’s long term admirers. 

This news comes on the banks of the recent extension signed by Toni Kroos just a few days ago, putting an end to all the rumors of Pep Guardiola’s interest in the German midfielder. And the Los Blancos aren’t done yet, with talks of new contract ongoing with Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Luka Modric.

Bale has made a strong start to the season scoring thrice and recording an assist in six appearances in La Liga, but the forward would be hoping for much better luck in the upcoming seasons, having been hampered with injuries since his world-record £85.1 million transfer from Spurs in 2013.

He has still managed to hold his own in a team full of world class players, scoring 61 goals from 131 appearances for Real Madrid, including the crucial goal in the Champions League final of 2014, which gave Real Madrid the lead against cross-city rivals Atletico Madrid.

We have seen glimpses of what Bale is capable of at Real, but the challenge for him would be to maintain consistency and help the club top the league at the end of the season, a title they haven’t won since 2012.