Gareth Bale looks to be heading for the exit door at the Bernabeu. The winger, who arrived in the Spanish capital in 2013, was hyped up as Cristiano Ronaldo's replacement, but now it appears he'll be put on the market in summer.
This update came just hours after the Welshman was named on the bench in Real's tie with Leganes. During the game, Bale showed signs of frustration, heading down to the dressing room during the first half whilst the game was still underway.
Gestures like this one hint at the Madrid number '11's dissapointment. During the game, he sat silently with a serious expression amongst the other substitutes but there was one small detail that caught everyone's eye: the forward was wearing trainers, leaving his boots at his side for when he was called upon.
When he finally stepped foot on the pitch, Bale struggled to get into the game, providing the viewers with just a shadow of the man they know and love. Zidane, instead of defending the winger, seems to have lost confidence in him. This was evident in the first leg Champions League match with PSG when the Frenchman subbed him off for Isco. A substituion that suggested a symbolic 'passing of the baton.'
Now, Madrid are on the look out for the highest bidder in their pursuit of shipping off a player who has struggled to find form in recent weeks and has shown a somewhat apathetic attitude.
With a new challenge around the corner, the Premier League appears to be the Welshman's most likely destination. At Tottenham, Bale proved his worth and displayed his star talent for many years. The winger's Galactico move to Madrid was a financial step forward, but has proved to be a step backwards for his footballing ability.
With Premier League's top six showing in January that they aren't afraid to spend money on new signings, don't be surprised to see a big money move for Bale in the summer.