adminLOS ANGELES. — Los Angeles FC hope to have a “long-term partnership” with Gareth Bale, after the Wales captain agreed to join the MLS side on a free transfer.
Forward Bale, 32, is currently a free agent having left Real Madrid after nine years in Spain. LAFC co-president John Thorrington said negotiations with Bale had not been “a financial conversation” and expects the deal to be finalised “within 10 days”.
“We don’t have a firm date,” Thorrington confirmed. Our transfer window opens in early July when we can register [players]. We still have to go through paperwork, hopefully a week or the next 10 days to take care of that, to welcome him and his family to LA, get up to speed.”
Thorrington would not be drawn into the details of the agreement in place with Bale, but said that it would run beyond November’s World Cup in Qatar, where Wales will be making their first appearance at a finals since 1958.
“I’d love to get into specifics but I don’t as a policy, but what I can tell you is that LAFC and Gareth are hoping that this is a long-term partnership,” Thorrington said, speaking after a 2-0 win over New York Red Bulls that kept the side top of the MLS standings.
“It was never about six months just for the World Cup. We were always talking about longer term than that. That was very clear from Gareth and his representative.
“When Gareth is looking at what he needs to do, his priority will be at LAFC — we are absolutely sure of that — but we’re not naive to the fact that he, like some other players of ours, have a World Cup on the horizon.”
Thorrington, who is also Los Angeles FC’s general manager, said that Bale’s first game for the MLS side could potentially be the home derby against LA Galaxy at 03:00 BST on 9 July. The five-time Champions League winner had been linked with a return to Tottenham Hotspur as well as a move to home-city club Cardiff.
The signing of Bale, who joined Real Madrid for a then world-record fee of £85m in 2013, follows LAFC’s move for Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini earlier this month.
“We presented to them what we feel is an unique opportunity for them at a stage of their career to do something different,” Thorrington said.
“But we want to win and we want winners, and we have a guy who’s won five Champions Leagues and a guy who’s won the World Cup (Chiellini).
“We have two great players who will continue to do great things in the next phase of their career here. We see them being great influences on the guys we already have here.” — BBC Sport.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter