Star forward Gareth Bale is coming to Major League Soccer. Bale will play for LAFC after inking a 12-month contract with the Western Conference. The agreement also contains an option to keep Welsh international in the United States through 2024.
Bale is set to arrive in MLS as a free agent since his contract with La Liga giants Real Madrid expires on June 30th.
“I am extremely excited for this move to LAFC,” Bale said for LAFC’s official website. “This is the right place for me and my family and the right time in my career, and I can’t wait to get started working with the team and getting ready to win more trophies in Los Angeles.”
Surprisingly, Bale decided to take a significant pay cut to come to LA. According to reports, he will earn slightly above $1 million and will not take one of the team’s Designated Player spots. Instead, the deal was completed using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).
Bale is the second European star LAFC managed to lure in recent weeks. The 32-year-old will join ex-Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini, who signed with the Los Angeles team earlier this month. The duo is expected to make debuts for their new club in the El Tráfico derby against LA Galaxy on July 8th.
Gareth Bale is best known for his time with Real Madrid, where he spent eight seasons and captured 16 trophies, including three La Liga titles and five UEFA Champions League wins. Bale leaves Real having made 258 appearances in all competitions while scoring 106 goals and dishing 67 assists.
