Real Madrid Star Gareth Bale Says It's 'An Honor' to Be Linked With Bayern Munich
Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has stated that it is an 'honor' to be linked with Bayern Munich amid another round of transfer rumors.
The Wales international's future at Santiago Bernabeu has been the subject of intense speculation as the summer transfer window looms into view, with Bale touted to return to the Premier League in the near future.
However, in quotes attributed to him by German newspaper Bild, the 29-year-old revealed that he was flattered to be linked with a switch to the Bundesliga champions, and refused to rule out turning down a transfer to them.
Bale said: "You can never rule out anything in football. Currently, I play football at Real Madrid and I enjoy that. Bayern have a fantastic squad and already in the past they have always been one of the most successful clubs in Europe.
"It's an honor for everyone to be linked with this club. But as of now I am a Real Madrid player."
The timing of Bale's admittance couldn't come at a worse time for Real, with the reigning Champions League champions set to face Bayern in the first leg of their semi final showdown on Wednesday evening.
The Europeans heavyweights will lock horns with a place in the grand final up for grabs, and Real boss Zinedine Zidane won't have wanted any distractions like Bale's comments ahead of a crucial contest for him and his club.
Bale has struggled for game time under the French legend this term despite being free of injuries for a large portion of the campaign, and may have one eye on the exit door as this term slowly draws to a close.
The ex-Tottenham superstar has been in decent nick in front of goal, however, with 11 goals notched in 22 appearances this season, and Bale believes that ratio of one goal every two matches isn't to be sniffed at.
He added: "I think that an average of a goal every second match is not bad at all," Bale said. "Still, there is always potential to develop further. This also applies to me. To be honest, I always want more. More games and more goals."
