Bale to stay in Real Madrid, expected to lead the offense this season

Welsh attacker Gareth Bale is finally set to stay in Real Madrid and will be expected to take on a much bigger role on the offensive system now that Cristiano Ronaldo has left the club. It seems that Los Blancos will not sign another galactico, so they will need many players to step up and prove that they can still get the job done without the Portuguese star.

Bale was rumored to be on his way out of the club before Ronaldo’s departure. Even the Welshman admitted that he would “sit down” with his agent this summer because he needs “to play every week,” something he wasn’t doing when former coach Zinedine Zidane was in charge. However, things changed when the Frenchman left the club, not only for Bale but also for players like Ceballos or Llorente. Even James Rodriguez was keen on a return to the Spanish capital when Zidane announced his departure.

Bale will need to stay healthy if he wants to succeed as one of the leaders of this team. He has been in and out of the lineup for the last two seasons because of injuries and that’s something he can’t afford if he wants to prove that he is ready to be the player Madrid need him to be.

It’s clear that the Welshman was frustrated under Zidane. Last season was tough for him as he wasn’t a relevant player even when he was 100% ready to go. Now, new coach Julen Lopetegui might even decide to play him on the left wing, where he could be more comfortable creating chances for his teammates. Still, Madrid will need him to score, so it’s likely that he stays on the right wing, where he is more dangerous because of his shot from distance.

This will be Bale’s first season as the undisputed leader of this team —at least offensively— and he still has time to prove his critics wrong. If he can stay healthy, odds are that he will complete his best season for Madrid yet.