Gareth Bale to sign for Los Angeles FC

Gareth Bale will fly to America in the coming days to sign for Los Angeles FC after opting to finish his career in Major League Soccer rather than return home.

Cardiff City had hoped he would be tempted by the prospect of playing in Wales ahead of the World Cup, but talks never reached an advanced stage with the free agent.

Telegraph Sport understands that Bale, the Wales captain, has instead agreed to fly out with his representatives this week to to become LAFC's biggest ever signing.

Bale, 32, was available as a free agent after his contract with Real Madrid expired this summer and had spent the last fortnight discussing options with his wife.

Since launching in 2018, the club has mostly focused its efforts on signing younger players as opposed to big-name veterans near the end of their careers.

However, Bale is set to join Italy's Giorgio Chiellini by becoming the club's second marquee signing. Bale and Chiellini would be eligible to debut against the LA Galaxy on July 8.

After Wales secured their place at the World Cup for the first time in 64 years, the Welshman has received a number of offers from clubs across the world to continue his career.

He wants to ensure he is in peak condition for the tournament in Qatar, which starts in November, and Wales's qualification has postponed any plans of early retirement.

Cardiff had been monitoring Bale for months in the hope they might be able to tempt the major star, who was a world record signing in September 2013 when he left Tottenham to join Real Madrid in a deal worth £85.3 million.

This summer brought the end to a nine-year spell in which he won five Champions League, three La Liga titles and the Fifa Club World Cup three times.

His final few years were difficult, however, with his first-team opportunities limited due to a fractious relationship with former manager Zinedine Zidane. Bale almost joined Chinese club Jiangsu Suning in July 2019.

For the 2020/21 season he returned to Tottenham on a year's loan, scoring 16 goals in 34 appearances before returning to Madrid.