THE POTENTIAL deal taking Gareth Bale to China could be dead in the water after a salary cap was announced for the Asian league.
Christmas Day talks have led to the Chinese FA announcing a £2million-a-year cap, applying to wages after tax and not including bonuses.
Bale is back in the Madrid mix despite a feud with ZidaneCredit: Getty – Contributor
When linked with a Super League switch in the summer, Real Madrid ace Bale was reportedly considering a mammoth £62.4m annual wage.
That amounted to £1.2m-a-week with Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane pulling the plug at the last minute.
With a repeat deal now unlikely to be in the offing, Premier League clubs may consider a move more viable.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham are among the names previously put forward as potential destinations for a move.
Bale has been given further chances in the Real team despite his summer feud with Zidane.
The Frenchman even backed his player after he celebrated Wales’ Euro 2020 qualification with a flag denoting “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order”.
Zidane stated afterwards: “He is a player who has given lots to the club and I will look only at the sport, not what they say outside because there is a lot said and I am not here for that.”
NEW RULES
In addition to the legislation on wages in the Chinese Super League, an additional foreign player is now allowed in squads.
The original limit of four has been upped to five, although there remains only four allowed on the pitch at any one time.
In announcing the cap, Chinese FA chairman Chen Xuyuan said: “Our clubs had too much money burned and our professional football has not been run in a sustainable way.
“If we don’t take timely action, I fear it will collapse.”
An overall limit of £121m has been placed on each clubs’ spending for each year, only 60 per cent of which can go on wages.
Chinese players in the division are also now subject to a salary cap, at £1.1m-a-year.
Gareth Bale booed and whistled as he comes on as sub for Real Madrid after flag row
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
