Gareth Bale Next Club Odds: Cardiff Still Top The Odds To Sign Him

Gareth Bale is one of the most successful footballers of his generation, but he will soon be without a club – and betting sites believe there is a clear favourite to sign him.

There was never any doubt that the Wales international would be available on a free transfer this summer. His Real Madrid contract does not officially expire until the end of the month, but Bale has been planning for life after Los Blancos for more than a year now.

There were even suggestions that the forward could call time on his career and hang up his boots, but Wales’ qualification for the 2022 World Cup means that is no longer an option.

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"Hopefully, I can enjoy my holiday and then decide where I want to be and what I want to do to try and play games to be as fit as I can for the World Cup,” Bale said recently.

"Once I get back into playing regular football, my body will get more robust and a bit better. I guess whoever I go to it'll be a win-win because hopefully, I'll be playing well and getting myself ready."

So, where might Bale end up? Let’s take a look at the latest odds and assess some of the potential destinations.

Gareth Bale Next Club Odds

Cardiff Favourites To Land Five-Time European Champion

With odds of 3/4, football betting sites believe Bale will be playing for Cardiff at the start of next season. That would be a sensational story and one of the biggest transfer coups of modern times.

Bale, after all, is a five-time Champions League winner. He might be slightly past his peak at 32, but he is by no means over the hill.

Bale could easily be at least a squad player for virtually any team Europe. Instead, he could be poised to join a side that finished 18th in the Championship last season.

There are other factors at play here: Bale was born in Cardiff and he may feel ready to return home.

He would not be playing at the highest possible level, but the forward dismissed concerns related to the Bluebirds’ status as a second-tier side when he said that he isn’t sure “if the standard makes too much of a difference”. Championship defences beware!

Forest And Newcastle Could Offer Route Back To Premier League

For all the romanticism involved with a possible switch to Cardiff, there is no doubt that Bale would gain more from testing his fitness in the Premier League.

Nottingham Forest, available at 20/1 with 10Bet, could offer him a route into the top flight at a club where he would be a guaranteed starter. Steve Cooper is a fellow Welshman who would no doubt love to play a part in getting Bale up to speed ahead of Qatar.

Newcastle United is another potential destination. No club on the planet will match Bale’s extraordinary Madrid salary (he pocketed £600,000 per week at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu), but the Magpies would be able to pay him more than either Cardiff or Forest.

Bale might also welcome the chance to become a key figure at this early stage of the Newcastle project.

Bale Likely To Reject Offers From Abroad To Return To The UK

Bale’s comments about the playing standard not being of the utmost importance were interpreted as a boost to Cardiff’s chances of signing him.

But perhaps the man himself had MLS in mind - he is 11/10 with BetVictor to join any team from the United States’ top league.

The regular MLS season runs until October 9 followed by a month-long play-off campaign, so it should be easy enough to strike some sort of short-term deal with a club on the other side of the Atlantic.

However, there is a sense that Bale would prefer to be based in the UK over the next few months.

He did not exactly embrace life in Spain, and while adaptation may be easier in the US, options in the Bundesliga and Serie A are unlikely to appeal to him.

Tottenham And Southampton Outsiders To Sign Former Star

Bale’s season-long return to Tottenham in 2020/21 did not really work out, but that was mainly because Jose Mourinho did not seem to fancy him.

There is no indication that Antonio Conte does either, and Spurs would not bring in a player above this manager’s head.

Nevertheless, the north London outfit are 25/1 on Betfair to sign Bale for a third time, and we can expect those odds to tumble if Conte does conclude that the Welshman could be an asset next term.

Bale began his career at Southampton, but odds of 25/1 suggest that they too are not considering a swoop for his services.

The Saints were among the favourites to sign the forward earlier this year, but that appears to have been nothing more than media speculation. As things stand, Ralph Hasenhuttl does not appear to have any interest in signing Bale on a short-term deal.

Rangers Could Recruit Another High Profile Welshman

If Wales are to enjoy a successful 2022 World Cup later this year, Bale and Aaron Ramsey will be instrumental.

Rob Page has a decent support cast at his disposal, but there is no way the Dragons would have qualified for the tournament for the first time since 1958 without their two main men.

Ramsey joined Rangers on loan in January and he could make the move from Juventus permanent this summer. If he does, Bale might be attracted to the prospect of joining his international team-mate at Ibrox.

Wales fans would certainly be pleased with that development. The Scottish giants are priced at 25/1 to bring Bale to Glasgow.