Four-time Champions League winner Gareth Bale could be heading to Cardiff City with the Welsh side now odds-on favourites to sign the Real Madrid man.
Out of contract in the summer, the 32-year-old could be heading to the Championship’s 18th placed club.
Odds on to make the move with numerous betting companies on Monday, the man capped by Wales 102 times would be heading for his second spell in the English Football League, playing in the second tier for Southampton between 2005 and 2007.
On loan at Tottenham Hotspur during the 2021-22 season, the forward will be departing the Spanish capital with three La Liga titles and 81 goals in all competitions.
Here is our list of the most shocking transfers in football history:
5. Esteban Cambiasso – Inter Milan to Leicester (2014)
Spending a decade at Inter Milan, racking up 315 appearances, five Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia’s and one Champions League in the process, Esteban Cambiasso was not short of suitors when his contract ran out with the Nerazzurri in 2014.
Capped 52 times by Argentina, the former Real Madrid man picked Nigel Pearson’s newly-promoted Leicester City.
Moving to the Foxes at the same time as Tom Lawrence, Danny Simpson, Leonardo Ulloa and Marc Albrighton to name a few, Cambiasso made 31 appearances, scoring on five occasions.
Looking destined for relegation, the East Midlands side surged away from the relegation zone in the final ten games, finishing 14th on 41 points.
#LCFCAwards – The #lcfc Player of the Year is ESTEBAN CAMBIASSO pic.twitter.com/yqduU0WKGH
— Leicester City (@LCFC) May 18, 2015
However, Cambiasso did not fancy a second year of Premier League football, moving to the Greek side Olympiacos at the end of the season.
4. Alex Teixeira – Shakhtar Donetsk to Jiangsu Suning (2016)
After a stellar 2015-16 season in Ukraine, Shakhtar Donetsk’s Brazilian starlet had Europe’s biggest teams enquiring about his services.
Scoring 67 league goals across seven seasons in the Ukraine Premier League, and winning five league titles, Liverpool were odds-on favourites to secure his signature. Still, they couldn’t match the offerings of Jiangsu Suning.
Breaking the Chinese transfer record, the now Beşiktaş man spent five years with Jiangsu, winning the league title in his final season at the club.
3. David Beckham – Real Madrid to LA Galaxy (2007)
Now a co-owner of Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, David Beckham was first involved with the league in 2007.
Making a shocking switch from Real Madrid to LA Galaxy, the former England captain was one of the first big European names to make the switch to North America, with many following suit years later.
Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and Wayne Rooney have all made a move since, but none have had the same level of impact as the former Manchester United man.
Having a statue outside the Dignity Health Sports Park, Beckham spent six seasons with Galaxy, winning the cup twice, before sealing a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain to end his playing career.
2. Carlos Tevez – Manchester United to Manchester City (2009)
Winning the Premier League twice in two seasons with Manchester United, Carlos Tevez caused controversy when he switched his red shirt for a blue one in 2009.
Signing for Mark Hughes’ City, the Argentine striker was the first player since 1999 to make the switch between the two Manchester clubs, ending as their top scorer in his first season.
However, his time at the club was not without controversy. Allegedly refusing to come on as a substitute against Bayern Munich in September 2011, the striker would not make another appearance until March 2012, returning in a 2-1 home victory against Chelsea.
#OnThisDay in 2011, Carlos Tevez refused to play for Manchester City against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Here's what Roberto Mancini had to say about the incident. #SkySportsRetro pic.twitter.com/OnCF7sQRxk
— Sky Sports Retro (@SkySportsRetro) September 27, 2020
Winning the title in his penultimate season in the club, Tevez concluded his four-season spell with 58 league goals to his name.
1. Luis Figo – Barcelona to Real Madrid (200)
Another player who made a controversial switch between rival clubs is Luis Figo, who swapped Barcelona for Real Madrid.
Winning seven trophies at the Camp Nou, the Ballon d’Or winner was met with a hostile atmosphere on his return to the home of Barcelona.
Feeling betrayed by the Portuguese star, Figo was met with jeers as well as oranges, cigarette lighters and bottles thrown onto the pitch.
Spending five years at Madrid, the now 49-year-old won two La Liga titles, two Supercopa de España’s, a Champions League, and a UEFA Super Cup.
