Gareth Bale to Cardiff City now odds on as transfer…

Gareth Bale to Cardiff City now odds on as transfer betting slashed

Cardiff City have now shortened to odds-on favourites to sign Gareth Bale this summer.

The future of Wales' greatest ever player hangs in the balance as things stand. His contract at Real Madrid expires next month and the 32-year-old's next destination is a constant talking point in this corner of the world.

Several clubs are thought to be in the mix, the latest being DC United in the MLS who are reportedly prepared to offer him mega-bucks to go Stateside this summer. Saudi-backed, uber-rich Newcastle United appear to linger near the top of the odds lists, too, along with his former club Spurs.

However, in a major shift, the bookmakers now have the Bluebirds as odds-on, 1/3 favourites to land the signature of Wales talisman Bale this summer; the most fancied they have ever been. Just six weeks ago, Cardiff were 8/1 to sign Bale, with Spurs as short as 2/1 at that point.

But the sea change over the course of the last few weeks has seen Cardiff surged to the top of the pile, with a move to any MLS club coming in second at 4/1 and Tottenham in third spot at 6/1.

When asked by WalesOnline ahead of the Bluebirds' final game with Derby County last week, Morison said of a potential swoop for Bale: ""Is there anyone who wouldn't be a willing listener?! I'm not going to go and get Gareth Bale's number and ring him and say, 'Oh, by the way, do you want to come and join Cardiff?'

"It's an absolute no-brainer. It would be great. It would be a great boost for everybody. But if it did happen, he would have to come and be part of the change. He would have to come and fit in and buy into it.

"I'm sure if anything like that was going to happen then me and him would have a chat because there would be a lot to talk about. One of them would be making sure [the press] don't find out about it!"

Clearly, this comes with the obvious caveat that Bale would have to take a substantial cut in pay if he was to ditch the Spanish capital for the Welsh one this summer. However, the door does not appear to have been slammed shut at Cardiff when the question has been asked about Bale's future.

It is likely any decision over the player's next move will come after the World Cup play-off final, which will take place between Wales and one of Scotland or Ukraine on June 5.