Gareth Bale ‘has a break in his contract that could see him leave LAFC’

Gareth Bale reportedly has a break in his contract that will allow him to leave LAFC ahead of the new MLS season, with the winger expected to make a big decision on his future in the new year.

After leaving Real Madrid in the summer, Bale signed an 18-month deal with LAFC, but made just two league starts in his opening months at the club as he tried to stay fit leading into the World Cup.

Wales’ time in Qatar did not go to plan, with the side picking up just a single point and scoring only one goal – a Bale penalty. The 33-year-old was forced off at half time in their final group match against England with a hamstring problem.

Wales went out of the World Cup on Tuesday after picking up one point from their three games

Bale now has a big decision to make on his club future, and could leave LAFC in the new year

After that bitter disappointment, Bale now has some time off and is due to return to LAFC at the start of 2023 ahead of next season in the US. However, according to The Sun, he has a clause in his contract that would allow him to move on from the club just six months after joining them if an agreement can be reached between all parties.

It is understood that senior figures at LAFC expect Bale to honour his contract and return to the team next year, but there has been speculation that he could walk away from the sport for good after the World Cup.

Bale looked to play down these rumours after Wales’ World Cup was brought to an end, indicating that he had no intention of hanging up his boots just yet.  

‘I’ll keep going as long as I can and as long as I’m wanted,’ he told the BBC.

‘We have a qualifying game starting in March and now a few months away from international football.

LAFC expect Bale to return to the club in 2023, but he may decide to walk away from the sport

‘Everyone is disappointed but all proud of getting here and doing something no other Wales team has done and how far we have come.

‘Football is difficult, teams go through good and bad runs and we didn’t live up to our expectations. Going forward we have to look how far we have come.

‘Two years ago we would have pinched ourselves. We all worked really hard to get here but walk out with our heads held high.’

Bale’s opening months at LAFC have hardly been plain sailing, with injuries limiting his game time, but he did score a crucial goal as the club won the MLS Cup at the start of last month.

Scoring his team’s only World Cup goal in Qatar also suggested that he still has moments of magic in him, and he could still decide to see out the remainder of his contract while also trying to help Wales qualify for Euro 2024.