'Gareth is one of the best players on the planet,' says Welshman's agent
Tuesday 23 July 2019 18:45, UK
Gareth Bale will not be leaving Real Madrid on loan this summer, his agent Jonathan Barnett has told Sky Sports News.
The 30-year-old has fallen out of favour at the Bernabeu under Zinedine Zidane with the Real Madrid coach claiming the forward was "very close" to leaving over the weekend.
However, Barnett claims if any deal is to be done, it will have to be a permanent one and nothing "makeshift".
"There will be no makeshift deals to get him out of the club," Barnett said.
"Gareth is one of the best players on the planet. I can guarantee you he will not be going on loan to any club."
With the Wales international unlikely to agree to a significant pay cut, the list of clubs who could afford to land Bale on a permanent deal is decreasing by the day.
Jiangsu Suning and Beijing Guoan are understood to be keen on bringing him to the Chinese Super League - but will be aware the transfer window in China closes in just eight days' time.
Another hurdle any Chinese side also has to overcome is the fact clubs pay 100 per cent transfer tax on foreign signings, meaning they effectively have to pay double with proceeds from the transfer tax going towards youth development in the country.
"Gareth is a Real Madrid player and for now he's staying as a Real Madrid player," added Barnett.
"If something comes along that suits us, then things could change and he could be gone in a day or a week. Or he could still be a Real player in three years when his contract ends."
Bale trained with his Real Madrid team-mates on Monday ahead of Wednesday's game against Arsenal.
Zinedine Zidane says Gareth Bale refused to play in Real Madrid's pre-season match against Bayern Munich and insists he has "never disrespected anybody".
Real head coach Zidane said on Sunday after the 3-1 defeat to Bayern Bale's departure would be "best for everyone", adding it was nothing personal.
Bale's agent, Jonathan Barnett, blasted Zidane for his comments, calling him a "disgrace" and questioning how he could show such little respect for a player "that has done so much for Real Madrid".
But, speaking ahead of Wednesday's pre-season match against Arsenal, Zidane sought to clear up the situation: "The first thing is that I've never disrespected anybody - certainly not any player."
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