Cardiff City's efforts to sign Gareth Bale have stepped up in earnest over the last few hours with chairman Mehmet Dalman preparing to head up the negotiations for a deal to sign the Wales captain.
The prospect of signing the Welsh talisman took a giant leap forward after Wales secured their place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Sunday night. Reports from the BBC on Monday that Dalman has decided to fly back into the UK to lead the talks have been confirmed to WalesOnline.
The Bluebirds have been waiting patiently for Wales' World Cup play-off final match against Ukraine, holding the belief that if Rob Page's side does qualify for the November tournament, it puts them in a good place to secure Bale's signature.
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Bale himself said that the outcome of that Wales-Ukraine match would be significant in deciding his future, stating before Sunday's clash: "I'll decide [my future] after the game. There is a lot of ifs and buts, but I think we need to see what happens and [the result] is the key to everything."
Well it is now understood Cardiff have seen that result at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday night as a tentative green light to press ahead with their attempts to thrash out a deal to sign the Wales captain, 32.
Cardiff are in the middle of a huge attempt to cut costs at the minute, chopping a load of cash off their wage bill and trying to pack their squad with talent on lower salaries as they try to offset the financial damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
That is at odds with the princely £600,000-per-week contract Bale has been on in Madrid since 2016, however there is understood to be a realisation from all parties that a drastic compromise would have to be made on that front for a deal to be countenanced.
However, it is not lost on the club that the potential signing of Bale has its financial upsides, too. The potential profits to be made on shirt sales and even bumper season ticket sales are all aspects believed to be under consideration as the Bluebirds bid to somehow strike an audacious deal for the five-times Champions League winner this summer.
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Both Bale's camp and sources at the club have refused to rule out a deal over the last few weeks, although there is an acceptance on both sides that this is a transfer which will need careful consideration in order for it to work for all parties. It would essentially mean Bale would be playing for Cardiff for free, or a nominal fee, simply in order to keep himself fit for the World Cup, which for Wales kicks off against the USA on November 21, and to ensure the Bluebirds' costs are kept down.
Leading Wales at a World Cup is at the top of Bale's priority list and signing for Cardiff would at least offer him the chance of regular training and game-time.
There is also a sentimental pull for the forward, who has never played for his hometown club after being picked up by Southampton at the age of nine before moving on to Tottenham and then Real Madrid. His family still live in the area, though, and he has many business interests in the Welsh capital.
