Gareth Bale: Cardiff City step up effort to sign Wales captain after Real Madrid exit

The signing of Wales captain Bale is being stepped up by the city.

Mehmet Dalman flew into the UK to negotiate.

After nine years in Spain, Bale left Real Madrid and is now free to join a new team.

Wales qualified for the World Cup with a win over Ukraine on Sunday.

A return to Spurs or a move to a MLS club in the US are some of the options Bale is considering.

The club is in the picture.

Bale was born in Wales but has never played football in the country.

Bale wants to lead Wales in the World Cup for the first time in 64 years.

In November and December, they are looking at other countries. The hope is that Bale will sign a contract after the 2022-23 season to lead them back into the premier league.

They are up against it financially. The weekly wage bill of the first-team squad was less than that of Bale.

Bale is said to be open to taking a pay cut in order to have a bigger marketing appeal for the club.

They are not saying anything.

When asked about his club options, Bale smiled and said he had "loads".