Gareth Bale saga takes incredible turn as proposed China move falls apart
Gareth Bale's proposed transfer from Real Madrid to Jiangsu Suning has collapsed, write the BBC.
The Wales international appeared to be on the verge of moving to the Chinese Super League in a deal which would have seen him pocket £1m per week.
That seemed to be a major boost to Madrid, who have been looking to sell Bale all summer as Zinedine Zidane remodels his squad ahead of next season.
However, the saga has now taken another extraordinary twist, with los Blancos calling the deal off at the last minute.
According to reports, Madrid president Florentino Perez vetoed the move, believing Bale is too valuable to lose without a transfer fee.
That could have repercussions for Zidane's position at the club, with the Frenchman having been adamant that the former Tottenham forward is not in his plans.
As things stand Bale looks set to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu, which could scupper Madrid’s plans to acquire Paul Pogba from Manchester United.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
READ MORE
7 Premier League players who would benefit from going out on loan this season
6 Premier League signings who bounced back to star in their second season
Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).