Gareth Bale is not worth the £86million the player’s new club Real Madrid paid for him, according to Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane, who moved to Madrid in 2001 for what was then a world record fee and is now the club’s assistant coach, said:
“Is Bale worth that amount? This question will have to be asked in a year. Ten years ago, I recognised that I was not worth €75million. Nowadays I have a tendency to say the same, that no player is worth that.
“But two clubs agree a price without being forced to. That’s football, unfortunately. It is difficult to understand. It is incomprehensible with all that is going on today.”
The Frenchman continued: “Bale understands the impact of his arrival. He comes to the best club in the world, and does so with this huge transfer price.
“I have experienced this and for three months it was very complicated. I even considered whether it was best to leave. Then, if you focus on what happens on the field, things flow more naturally.
“My role will be to tell him to play as he knows and not to pressurise himself too much. He has incredible potential and is a player who has proven over the last three years to be the best out there. He also has room for improvement, he is only 24 and I think he can bring much to Madrid.”
However, Zidane also said he didn’t agree with the huge fee Madrid paid Tottenham to secure the Welsh international, saying: “I would not have spent €100m for Bale, but they do it because their members allow them. I have nothing more to say.”
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