Pros and cons of Aston Villa signing Gareth Bale

Transfer expert Ekrem Konur says Aston Villa are interested in Gareth Bale this summer, but it remains to be seen if the Midlands outfit would bring him to Villa Park due to the cost and risk involved.

Bale will turn 33 in July and has spent most of the season sidelined with injury, so it may not play a lot of football in 2022/23. The Welsh international would be an improvement on Villa’s existing wide-man when fit, however, so ther are pros and cons to signing him.

Bale left Real Madrid on a free transfer over the summer, having scored 106 goals with 67 assists in 258 games (2013 – 2021). The 32-year-old won five Champions League titles, one Copa Del Rey and three La Liga titles for Real, so who better to aid Villa’s push for a European finish next season.

But Bale may not come cheap. He was earning £554k-per-week/£28.8m-a-year in Spain which could be too steep for Villa, let alone for a player that missed 35 games due to injury this season.

But with Bertrand Traore, Trezeguet and Anwar El Ghazi being surplus to requirements after falling down the pecking order, Villa signing Bale would be an upgrade. Leon Bailey has an uncertain future after a disappointing and injury-laden debut season, so would Bale fare any worse?

In other news, why Steven Gerrard should keep Douglas Luiz this summer