Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale has already played in Los Angeles - Real Madrid lost 4-1 there against Manchester City in the International Champions Cup in July, 2017

At the height of summer, it's important to find a player whose next move has caused a lot of speculation.

Half of the nine trophy-laden years that the Wales captain spent at Real Madrid were spent in the background of constant speculation about his future.

One of the greatest goals in the history of the European club competition was not enough to stop gossip. He said in an interview on the pitch that he was going to talk to his agent about his future.

The relationship between Bale and Madrid was complex. There were five winners' medals, three La Liga titles and more than 100 goals for the 32-year-old, but injuries and inconsistent form pushed him to the fringes.

There was no doubt that Bale would leave Madrid at the end of the month. His next location was the only question mark.

He was linked with a return to Spurs and his representatives held talks with his hometown club, Cardiff.

Bale's agent cautioned at the time that they were still negotiating with a lot of other clubs and that a move to the United States was a long-standing option.

Bale can look forward to the next chapter of his career now that the decision-making process is over.

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Why Bale chose LAFC

There are many attractions to moving to Los Angeles, from the Californian lifestyle to the financial rewards of joining an LAFC side.

Bale has stated that he likes spending time on the American West Coast, having played there in pre-season competition and been back on holiday with his family.

The MLS has been earmarked as an ideal destination for the twilight years of his club career, despite the fact that he was close to joining Chinese Super League clubJiangsu Suning in 2019.

Bale went on to terrorise defences across Europe with his searing pace, but he is still capable of producing match winning moments when they matter most.

He scored two goals in Wales' World Cup play-off win over Austria in March and followed it up with a free-kick which led to the only goal in their historic victory against Ukraine.

Gareth Bale (R) competes for the ball with Giorgio Chiellini
Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini will be team-mates in California

Bale only played 20 minutes for Real Madrid in the three months between the two Wales matches, but he still did well.

The lack of consistent action at club level is something Bale will want to correct at LAFC, where he can expect a more prominent role.

The most important reason Bale wants to play regularly is to be fit for the World Cup in Wales.

Having achieved everything he could with Real Madrid and led Wales to back-to-back European Championships, Bale had set his sights on a World Cup.

When Wales play the United States in the opening game of the World Cup in November, it will be the end of their 64 year wait.

LAFC are a good fit because of that. The MLS regular season lasts from February to October, followed by the play-offs and the MLS Cup final.

As LAFC are top of their conference, they are well positioned to reach the final and offer Bale a run of games before the World Cup, with the bonus of a brief period of rest before the US encounter.

The move to LA would have been worth it if Bale arrived in peak physical condition.

Gareth Bale needs regular games next season, says Wales boss Robert Page
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Bale's future beyond the World Cup

There is a chance that Bale will forget about his future after the World Cup.

Bale did not rule out the possibility of retirement after last year's delayed Euro 2020 but there was speculation that he would have retired had Wales not qualified.

The end of Bale's career would be the end of an era for Welsh football.

He has been the face of Wales for a long time. Wales have gone from an all-time low of 117th in the world rankings to a historic run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals and now qualification for a third major tournament from four.

Bale has signed a one-year contract with LAFC, with the possibility of an extension, even though the World Cup seems like a natural end to his career.

When you consider Bale would be 34 years old when the tournament starts in Germany, it's possible that he could stay around until Euro 2024.

That can be put off for now. Bale and Wales have a World Cup to consider first, and LAFC can look forward to having a talent join their ranks for the remainder of the season.

The first match Bale will be eligible to play in will be next month's Los Angeles derby against LA Galaxy.

The man who once lit up El Clasico is about to do the same thing for El Trafico.

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