Gareth Bale’s ‘lack of personality’ criticised after Real Madrid block China move

Former Wales and Real Madrid manager John Toshack has said the criticism of Gareth Bale is “justified” following his failed move to China.

After falling out with the Madrid hierarchy, Bale had hoped to secure a lucrative move to China last week. However, president Florentino Perez blocked the move.

How Bale fell out with Madrid: Five things to know…

• Bale joined Real Madrid in 2013 for £85 million.
• Despite scoring three Champions League final goals and the winner in the Copa del Rey final in 2014, the Welshman has struggled to be appreciated by the Bernabeu crowd.
• Bale’s failure to learn Spanish has been criticised by Madridistas.
• According to his agent, Bale ‘doesn’t have a relationship with Zinedine Zidane and never has’.
• The Madrid faithful booed Bale on multiple occasions last season.

Toshack has urged Bale to speak up about the transfer situation and said: “Go and play. Just play the game. Say what you actually think. Don’t have somebody else telling people what should happen, you tell them what you want, what you like, where you want to play.

“Have a little bit more personality yourself, you don’t need agents or people to talk for you. You speak yourself. I haven’t seen Gareth say anything. I’m reading all this stuff about the criticism that Bale is taking – and it’s justified.”

Toshack also had some words of advice for Bale about he could have improved his reputation in Spain. According to him, Bale’s unwillingness to publicly speak out about everything has come back to haunt him.

Toshack added: “Come out Gareth, do an interview, speak yourself. You’ve been there for six or seven years now – you don’t speak the language. That’s an insult to the people you are working for.

“You try and you learn the language and if you make mistakes early on then people forgive you. But to have somebody else coming out and speaking for you, no, no, no.

“And even if you can say good morning and good afternoon, 1-0, 2-0, that was a corner, should have had a free-kick, little things like that will endear you to the people. Gareth’s situation – nothing. It’s not gone down well at all here in Spain and it saddens me.”

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Where now for Bale?

It appeared that Bale’s spell in Madrid was over when Jiangsu Suning offered him a huge salary to fill one of their overseas player spots. However, after a disagreement over the fee, the deal collapsed.

Following Real’s wretched pre-season form and the long-term injury to Marco Asensio, it appears Bale may have to stay in the Spanish capital for a while longer.

Unless another club makes a dramatic, big-money move for Bale between now and the end of the window, Zidane will have to make space in his squad for the Welshman.