Zidane: Gareth Bale playing golf? I hope he trained too

Zinedine Zidane appeared unconcerned about Gareth Bale being pictured playing golf in Madrid but added: “I hope he has trained there.”

Marca cite a report in El Confidencial which claims the forward spent time playing the sport, which is a well-reported hobby of his, while his team fell to defeat in the pre-season Audi Cup tournament against Tottenham on Tuesday.

“I don't know … You're telling me something that has surely happened,” Zidane told reporters, with Marca adding that he nearly laughed at the question.

“I hope he trained there. We'll see when we come back (to Spain), I'm not going to forbid him to do anything.

“We'll see what he has done in Madrid. He stayed in Madrid. to train and I think he has.”

The Welsh wizard celebrated his 30th birthday last week and is said not to be part of Zinedine Zidane’s plans at the Bernabeu, while the Madrid fans have turned on him.

Bale has three years remaining on his Madrid contract and his hefty wage bill means that he has no strong desire to exit the club this summer despite the wishes of the hierarchy in the Spanish capital.

The former Southampton and Spurs winger scored 14 goals with six assists in 42 competitive games last season.

Jiangsu Suning, who also 70% ownership of Italian club Inter, are one of Chinese football’s richest clubs but a 100% tax exists on foreign arrivals which could hamper any deal.

Bale has been linked with an exit from Madrid for months with England and China rumoured to be two possible destinations.

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