Gareth Bale announces move to LAFC
Los Angeles, Jun 25 (EFE).- Welsh striker Gareth Bale announced Saturday that he is joining Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC, confirming a story published hours earlier by reporter Tom Bogert on the MLS website.
“See you soon, Los Angeles,” the 32-year-old Wales captain said in a tweet accompanying a video of himself sporting LAFC gear.
Bogert reported that Bale will come to the current MLS leaders on a free transfer once the forward’s contract with Real Madrid expires at the end of this month.
The Welshman will sign a one-year deal with the MLS club, according to Bogert, while journalist Fabrizio Romano said the contract will include an option for an additional year.
Bale could make his debut for LAFC as soon as July 8 in a match against the rival Los Angeles Galaxy and can count on getting plenty of minutes throughout the remainder of the MLS regular season, which wraps up on Oct. 9.
The MLS Cup Final, if LAFC should get that far in the playoffs, is set for Nov. 5, more than two weeks before Bale needs to join his Wales teammates in Qatar for World Cup 2022.
A free-kick from Bale that Ukraine’s Andriy Yarmolenko inadvertently redirected into his own side’s net provided the winning margin for the Dragons in a qualifying playoff early this month.
Bale moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in 2013 for a then-record transfer fee of $106 million and his first five seasons with the Blancos were filled with triumphs.
He contributed 97 goals to help Real Madrid to five Champions League trophies and three LaLiga titles before he began to suffer from injury problems and a strained relationship with management and the fans.
Bale started only four games for the Blancos last season.
Established in 2018, LAFC were the regular-season champions in 2019, but have not fared well in postseason play.
The news of Bale’s signing comes on the heels of LAFC’s acquisition of defender Giorgio Chiellini, a veteran back-line stalwart for Juventus and the Italian national team. EFE
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