Four clubs Gareth Bale could join ahead of World Cup as Tottenham snub Wales ace

Wales fans celebrate World Cup qualification in Cardiff

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Gareth Bale will be on the lookout for a new club over the next few weeks upon his release from Real Madrid at the end of the month. The Welsh hero is set to walk away from the Bernabeu upon the expiry of his current deal and is likely to have no shortage of potential suitors in advance of the new campaign.

One club he will not be joining is Tottenham, who reportedly have no plans to bring him back to north London over the coming weeks and months. Antonio Conte is not interested in sanctioning a move for Bale in spite of his status as a club legend, with the Italian coach instead looking to pursue his other attacking targets, according to The Telegraph.

Bale is likely to have plenty of options to choose from, though, with a handful of sides believed to be keen on snapping him up in the not-too-distant future. He is nearing the twilight of his career at 32 years of age but still has a lot to offer with his pace, trickery and dead-ball expertise as well as his Champions League-winning experience.

With that in mind, Express Sport takes a look at four potential destinations for Bale between now and the start of next season as he looks to keep fit ahead of Wales’ upcoming World Cup campaign in Qatar.

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Newcastle United

A move to Newcastle could be a realistic option for Bale to consider if the Magpies decide to get the ball rolling with regards to bringing him to St James’ Park this summer. Their newly-found riches could allow them to meet the Welshman’s salary demands, which are likely to be exorbitant given the weekly sum of around £600,000 that he is currently on at Real Madrid.

Bale’s presence at Newcastle would provide a welcome injection of star quality that could inspire the Tyneside outfit to challenge for a top-six finish in the Premier League at the very next time of asking. He would also serve as a role model for the younger players in the squad and could make for an excellent addition on the right flank if he is paired with Allan Saint-Maximin on the left-hand side next season.

Cardiff City

A romantic move to hometown club Cardiff City could also be on the cards for Bale if he decides to drop his mega-money wage demands in the not-too-distant future. The Championship outfit have been speculatively linked with the Wales international over the last few months but would surely be unable to match his current salary as things stand.

However, Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, recently hinted at the possibility of his client joining Cardiff by insisting that money would not be an issue in terms of choosing his next club.

“He’s already extremely wealthy, Gareth is probably the richest footballer Britain has produced,” said Barnett last month. “In any case, no club on earth would be able to pay what he’s on at the moment, Gareth realises that. Money is not important to him.”

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AC Milan

AC Milan, like Newcastle, will have plenty of money to spend over the course of this summer following the completion of their billion-pound takeover by RedBird Capital Partners, which is expected to be pushed through over the coming weeks. They could decide to spend their riches on snapping up Bale, who may be tempted by the idea of challenging for another major title before the end of his career.

A move to the San Siro would also provide Bale with the opportunity to play Champions League football, which could give Milan an advantage over the likes of Newcastle and Cardiff in the race to secure his signature. It remains to be seen whether he will emerge as a target for the Italian giants, though, who will be looking to strengthen this summer in order to defend their Serie A crown at the next time of asking.

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Wrexham

The prospect of Bale joining Wrexham would appear to be very, very unlikely, but stranger things have happened in the world of football. A move to the National League outfit would provide him with a welcome return to his native Wales, while he would almost certainly become a club legend before even kicking a ball for the Red Dragons upon his arrival.

However, the financial implications of a move to Wrexham would obviously make it near-enough impossible for Bale to join them given the massive differences in funding between top-flight and non-league football. Co-owner Rob McElhenney has already joked on Twitter that Bale’s arrival could soon be on the horizon, though, with his comments sending fans into a frenzy in spite of the ambitious nature of such an approach.

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