Gareth Bale's agent confirms Real Madrid exit and takes "parasites" swipe

Gareth Bale will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season but no future move has yet been decided, his agent has confirmed.

Jonathan Barnett has confirmed that Bale will be leaving the Spanish capital this summer at the end of his contract but insisted that his client "loves" the city and that his decision to leave was not an easy one. The agent also hit out at the "parasites" who have continued to undermine the Welshman.

Bale has recently hit out at Spanish media outlet Marca as being "disgusting" for comparing him to a parasite over claims he is sucking money out of the Spanish giants. Bale concluded a rant against the reports by stating: "We all know who the real parasite is!" The forward had faced fresh criticism from the Madrid media after his starring role for Wales in their playoff win over Austria last month.

The Welshman had appeared to be enjoying a new lease of life in the Spanish capital following the return of boss Carlo Ancelotti this summer. The Italian had been in the dugout whenever Bale signed for Los Blancos from Tottenham in the summer of 2013 and the forward's best form at the club came under the boss. Yet Bale suffered fresh injury heartbreak with a hamstring pull seeing him miss months of the campaign while various fitness setbacks since have delayed his return to action.

Bale has featured just twice for his club since August: one of which was a three-minute cameo substitute appearance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. By contrast, the 32-year-old has played seven matches for his nation in the same timeframe. The forward netted in the 3-3 draw at Levante and appeared to have the trust of Ancelotti, with whom he won the Copa del Rey and Champions League titles in 2014.

Yet Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes have been regulars in Madrid's attack ahead of Bale, with Marco Asensio also frequently selected ahead of the Welshman - who has found himself uninvolved in first-team action under Ancelotti to the same degree as Eden Hazard, Isco and Luka Jovic. Now, his agent Barnett has confirmed his exit at the end of the campaign.

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Barnett told Spanish TV station Deportes Cuatro: "Bale deserves a grand farewell from the club. And no, we have not yet decided on the future." Barnett went on to speak very highly of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, whom he claimed had always been "very loyal and supportive" of the Welshman.

Barnett then turned his ire on those who had continued to criticise Bale: "He speaks Spanish. What happens is that people who do not know him say that he does not. Stupid and ignorant people who have not spoken to him. It's a shame. He has always been very happy in Madrid, he arrived as a young man, his children were born in the city, he has donated a lot of money to Spanish hospitals for Covid (a reported £400k) and he loves the city and the club and I think the parasites are the ones who speak ill of him."

Bale has won a total of 13 trophies at Real Madrid including two La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns. However, his game-time under both Zinedine Zidane and Ancelotti has significantly reduced in recent years - with his exit this summer at the end of his contract.