Cardiff City, a serious option for Bale ahead of the World Cup

Bale could return home early. The Welsh international is not closing the door on playing for Cardiff over the next few months in order to be fit for the World Cup squad for Qatar.

In fact, the former Real Madrid player is considering a move to his Championship side: "It's something I need to sit down and talk about," he said. "Not just with my family, but with the coach and the physios to see what would give me the best chance of being fit in November and December. I really don't know if the standards make a big difference before the World Cup. A football match is a football match," he said.

Bale recently confirmed in the face of rumours that he will not play for Getafe. And all signs point to the World Cup in Qatar being the end of his professional career.