From superstar to transfer shortlist

Gareth Bale is up for sale. There is no way back. 'AS' reports that the Welshman has been placed on the transfer list, and that come what may this season, he will be sold all the same. 

There is now a certainty about this, due to the fact that Madrid want to overhaul their squad this summer with a number of new signings. The sale of Bale would help make this plan affordable. 

The ex-Tottenham man is likely to return to the Premier League, where he retains a great number of admirers as it was there that he played the best football of his career. Bale is no longer a youngster, he is 29 now, and his repeated injuries mean that Madrid may allow such a sale to happen. 

His agent is demanding 175 million euros for the forward, which would be a big ask for any club. Some believe that Paul Pogba could be heading to the Bernabeu, with Bale used as a makeweight in the deal. 

In his 224 appearance for Madrid, Bale has scored 102 goals and racked up 56 assists. They are not bad numbers, but not enough for a fanbase that hoped he would go on to emulate the achievements of Cristiano Ronaldo.