Bale extends Madrid deal to 2022
AFP
AFP, MADRID: Gareth Bale tied his long term future to Real Madrid on Sunday by extending his contract with the Spanish giants to 2022, the club confirmed.
Real Madrid C. F. and Gareth Bale have agreed an extension to the players contract, keeping him at the club until the 30th of June 2022, Madrid said in a statement.
Bale, 27, joined Real for a then world record fee from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 on a six-year deal and has won the Champions League twice in his three full seasons in the Spanish capital.
The Welshman is just the latest of a series of Real stars to agree contract extensions in recent weeks as the club prepares to serve a one-year transfer ban imposed by FIFA should a final appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport fail.
Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Lucas Vazquez have already agreed new deals, whilst Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to follow suit.
By tying Bale down for the prime years of his career, Real aim to ward off any suitors from the cash-rich Premier League for the Welshman, who was twice voted player of the year by his peers in England.
Bale shone in Reals two Champions League finals against cross city rivals Atletico Madrid.
He scored the crucial second goal as Real ended a 12-year wait for their tenth European Cup in a 4-1 victory after extra time in his debut season in 2014, and from the penalty spot when Los Blancos edged this years final in May 5-3 on penalties.
Yet, his most spectacular moment in a Real shirt came with a stunning solo effort that demonstrated fully his athleticism as he outstripped the Barcelona defence to net the winner in the 2014 Copa del Rey final.
Despite those successes, Bale hasnt always found life easy in Spain.
His difficulties with the language means he is yet to address the media in Spanish, although he insisted towards the end of last season he has improved to allow himself to be a more active presence in the dressing room.
