Should Real Madrid sell Gareth Bale? Pros and Cons

Everybody expected Gareth Bale to have a brilliant 2014-2015 season. After all, he managed to play well during his first campaign with Real Madrid in which he didn't have the chance to complete the pre-season with the team. Last summer, he got ready for this season with the rest of his teammates, wasn't involved in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and it was reasonable to expect even better performances from him. However, his overall contribution to the team's play hasn't been as big as it was last season, and while he's putting up some decent numbers -- 17 goals and 11 assists -- his adaptation to the club and the city could have been better. Should Real Madrid give up on him this summer?

Pros

• Real Madrid would most likely recover the €100 million they invested. Bale is still a coveted player for most British clubs. No matter his struggles with Real, reports indicate that Chelsea, Manchester United and maybe even Manchester City would be willing to pay €100 million to sign him away from Real Madrid. Therefore, Los Blancos would recover every single cent spent on signing Bale after two seasons.

• That money would be used to make some much-needed improvements. It might be time to finally make a huge upgrade in the goalkeeper spot, and United will likely ask for a lot of money in return if De Gea is Real Madrid's choice. Los Blancos have struggled dramatically without Luka Modric, and they are probably thinking about adding a quality midfielder to the roster. Verratti, anyone? Maybe Pogba? Coentrao will also leave the club and Gayà seems close to signing an extension with Valencia. Does this mean Real will be willing to spend big on Bayern's David Alaba? All those potential transfer targets could be afforded by selling Bale.

• No need for an unbalanced 4-3-3 anymore, room for Isco. How much longer will Isco wait before earning a starting spot in Real Madrid -- when everyone's healthy? Could a 4-4-2 with Isco and James on the wings and Ronaldo and Benzema upfront work? The 4-3-3 with Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo upfront not only leaves Isco or James out, it has also proven to be a bit unbalanced against elite opposition. Selling Bale would allow Ancelotti to change his favorite formation avoiding huge controversy.

Cons

• Bale has already shown potential in Madrid. He has not been a failure. Again, his season last year was good enough to earn the trust of teammates, fans and coaching staff alike. It would be reasonable for Real Madrid to be patient and wait for him to turn this corner and perform at least at the level he showed last season.

• Real Madrid do not need the money. Financially speaking, it would be acceptable to sell Bale, but Real just simply do not need that money to improve the roster. Real Madrid could afford to buy De Gea, Alaba and Verratti this summer without selling Bale, no question about that.

• Why should other stars join Real Madrid? If Real Madrid give up on Bale this soon, other stars would think twice before joining the club, knowing that they will not be given time to adapt and a fair shake by the press. Selling Bale would prove that Real Madrid still make decisions based on how the media and fans are treating a player. Would that be the right move?