Former Arsenal star Robert Pires has advised the North London outfit to make a move for Gareth Bale, who is reportedly unsettled at Real Madrid.
Arsenal have been urged to make an attempt to try and sign Welsh wing wizard Gareth Bale from Real Madrid, by club legend Robert Pires, in an interview with bwin.com.
Bale moved to Real Madrid from Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2013, for a then world record fee of £85 million. The 29-year-old has seen a lot of success with Los Blancos, winning a La Liga title and as many as four UEFA Champions League trophies during his time in Spain.
However, the Wales international has always cut a somewhat unsettled figure at the Santiago Bernabeu. Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure last summer, Bale was expected to become the main man at Real Madrid. But, the 29-year-old has struggled for form and fitness once again.
In 32 matches in all competitions, Bale has scored 13 goals and assisted 5 more, failing to live up to the lofty expectations placed on him. The former Tottenham Hotspur star has lost his place in the starting XI in recent weeks, with Lucas Vazquez and Vinicius Junior ahead of him in the pecking order.
The signs of frustration were quite evident when he refused to celebrate scoring the winning goal after coming on from the bench in the 2-1 triumph over Levante this past weekend. Post that, he was left out on the bench again for the Copa del Rey semi-final clash against Barcelona, which Real Madrid lost.
With murmurs of a possible summer exit doing the rounds, Pires has advised his former club to capitalize on the situation and swoop in to sign Bale in the summer. Speaking to bwin, the 45-year-old Frenchman, who won two Premier League titles with the Gunners also said that it is likely that the Welshman will not be at Real Madrid next season.
“I think there’s a good chance Gareth Bale might be playing his last season at Real Madrid. He is having a very tough time on and off the pitch at the moment, and there are a lot of questions about how settled he is in the dressing room and how appreciated he is by the fans. You can see that Bale is an unhappy player at the moment.”
“I think coming back to the Premier League is the most logical step for Gareth Bale. There’s an assumption that he would go back to Tottenham, but I would encourage Arsenal to open the door to the Emirates for him. I know Tottenham fans would not be happy, but Bale would be very welcome at Arsenal. I hope the club tries to see if it is an option this summer.”
Arsenal are on the lookout for a winger and have been strongly linked with a move for Lille’s Nicolas Pepe. A player of Bale’s class would be an excellent addition to the Gunners’ roster, but his past allegiance with Tottenham could prove to be a hindrance.
Moreover, given the tight budget that Arsenal are operating on, the transfer fee for Bale and his wages could be a problem as well. As much as Pires would have liked for the Welshman to join his former club, it seems highly improbable.
