Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has instructed his agent to find him a new club in the January transfer window after his latest spat with manager Zinedine Zidane, according to reports.
Bale, 30, was left out of the squad for a Champions League fixture against Club Brugge on October 1 along with James Rodriguez due to what Zidane said were concerns over both players' fitness.
"Yes, they were injured," Zidane said. "Everyone here is indispensable, all 25 [players], but they were the two injured ones and we didn't want to risk them."
Bale returned to the side for the Primera Liga match against Granada four days later but was omitted from the matchday squads for the subsequent defeat to Mallorca and the Champions League win away to Galatasaray.
Spanish daily Marca reported that Bale was unhappy about being left out for the game against Brugge, which ended in a 2-2 draw, with the Welshman believing the reasons were nothing to do with his health but more to do with Zidane's desire to push him out of the club.
As a result, Bale has reportedly told his agent, Jonathan Barnett, to sound out potential suitors for a January move, adding that the club were willing to let a player they signed from for £85 million (Dh389m) in 2013 leave for free.
Neither Bale nor his agent have yet commented on the latest reports.
The latest alleged spat between Bale and Zidane comes after a relative period of calm in their fractured relationship that reached boiling point over the summer when Zidane said the club were actively trying to sell the former Tottenham forward.
A move to the Chinese Super League was heavily mooted, with European clubs thought to be put off by excessive wage demands, reported to be €17 million (Dh70m) a year at Madrid, for a player with a history of injury problems.
Jiangsu Suning and Beijing Guoan were linked with a move for Bale but both were unwilling to meet Madrid's valuation for the player, with some reports saying the Spanish club were holding out for a fee of €30m.
Chinese clubs must match any transfer fee paid for a player with a donation to support the development of football in the country. A report in the Daily Mail on Tuesday said that mid-table Shanghai Shenua have emerged as the latest club from the cash-rich league to register an interest.
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Gareth Bale's nine best moments at Real Madrid
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Bale's Madrid contract runs until the summer of 2022 and it remains to be seen whether they will drop their valuation of a player that has scored over 100 goals for the club and won a host of trophies, including a La Liga, Copa del Rey and four Champions League titles.
Despite that record, Bale has often been subject of boos from the Bernabeu faithful who have long tired of his constant injuries and perceived failure to integrate into Spanish society.
Bale has played just 53 per cent of Madrid's matches in the last six seasons due to the 26 different injuries he has suffered.
Madrid, currently sixth in La Liga, are next in action on Wednesday when they take on bottom-club Leganes.
