Gareth Bale's club future will undoubtedly come under the spotlight once again in the coming months after a bitter end to Real Madrid's La Liga campaign in Spain this week saw the Wales talisman firmly on the fringes of the action.
Scoring just three times in 20 appearances across all competitions this season, Bale's apparent frosty relationship with boss Zinedine Zidane was there for all to see as the Wales player was an unused substitute in eight of Real's 10 post-lockdown matches and didn't play a single minute of football in the closing weeks..
Bale hit the headlines last weekend when pretending to sleep in the stands after his latest snub and cut a lonely figure amid awkward celebrations when Los Blancos secured their 34th La Liga title on Thursday.
In a photo which paints 1,000 words, Bale even stood with his arms firmly crossed when his teammates hoisted Zidane aloft.
One might wonder why on earth Bale is still playing at the club where he is clearly not being used to his full potential.
While speculation over a move away for Bale, either back to the Premier League or to pastures new in China, hasn't been uncommon, one major stumbling block to any move away from the Bernabeu appears to be the wages he is used to.
So, how much is Bale worth and how much does he earn at Real Madrid?
The 31-year-old has undoubtedly seen his wealth shoot through the roof while in the Spanish capital, despite a somewhat turbulent stint there.
This year saw the Cardiff-born star top the 2020 Sunday Times Rich List in May, when he was named the wealthiest active sports star aged 30 or below.
And what put him there? The jaw-dropping figure of £114million, an increase of £20m from the previous year when he appeared second in the category.
His stock increased from £94m in 2019, and the 2020 rich list saw him ranked above boxing superstar and heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (£107m), whose wealth rose dramatically from £58m last year, and Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba (£50m).
While that overall figure will also account for lucrative endorsement deals, his wages are reported to tot up to an eye-watering sum of £350,000 a week after tax.
Bale joined Real Madrid from Tottenham in September 2013 for a then world-record transfer fee of £85m (100m euros), and then signed a contract extension in 2016 worth a reported £150million, according to the Guardian.
Contracted to the club until June 30, 2022, he is said to earn £600,000 a week before tax.
When you tot up the weekly figure from the new contract extension in 2016 until 2022, it comes to almost £110m without bonuses - and £18.2m a year on that six-year deal.
The Guardian also reported back in 2016 that a buyout clause had been set at €1bn (£900m).
Speaking to Erik Anders Lang in an interview in May, Bale opened up on his mindset after joining Real from Spurs for £86m in 2013 and how he dropped the burden of having to prove himself.
He said: "I know there’s no such thing in the United States, because the system is more exchange-based there, but when a club in Europe buys you for a lot of money, there’s a lot of pressure because God knows how many millions have been paid for you.
"There is this pressure to present yourself in the right way.
"When my transfer came about, it was a little strange. I knew it was a world record then, but I never really thought about it. I left it and I just wanted to play ball.
"What happened happened, and I tried to show my best side on the pitch.
"You know, a lot of people said I had to prove my worth, but I came up with a different approach and I dropped the burden."
How do his wages compare?
Well, fellow Welshman Aaron Ramsey appeared on the same Sunday Times Rich List - for those aged 30 or below - following his move from Arsenal to Juventus last summer.
He appeared on the list with his wealth listed as £18m and was a new entry from the previous year. His wages see him earn £400,000 a week, according to the BBC.
Elsewhere, Bale's club teammate Eden Hazard joined the Spanish club from Chelsea in 2019 for a fee of £88m (€100m) and in the process also became the club's highest-paid player. According to the Evening Standard, Hazard saw his salary increase from £200,000 to £400,000 a week after tax following the move.
