Gareth Bale would fill in the void created by Cristiano Ronaldo, said Julen Lopetegui | Photo Credit: AP

New Delhi: Real Madrid’s new boss Julen Lopetegui opined that Gareth Bale would be perfectly able to fill in the void created by Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to Italian club Juventus. Rumours about the Welsh forward’s impending departure have been afloat for quite a long time after he was frequently benched by former manager Zinedine Zidane. This, reportedly, caused a great displeasure to Bale and he was contemplating leaving the Santiago Bernabeu.

But after star forward Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to the Italian giants for £100 million, things are back in Bale’s favour. "Gareth is happy to play at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the main players in the recent history of Real Madrid. He expressed a desire to leave and we allowed him to.”, said Lopetegui, while addressing the press ahead of Real Madrid’s clash with Manchester United in the International Champions Cup.

"Gareth Bale is a magnificent player, with so many qualities. He can help fill the void," he added. The 29-year-old had arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in the year 2013 and was instrumental in winning Real Madrid’s 13th Champions League title after he found the net twice in the final game, against Liverpool at Kiev. This is was Bale’s fourth Champions League title with Real Madrid.

The former Spanish boss, who was sacked from his position after he joined Real Madrid just before the FIFA World Cup 2018, said that Bale had performed well alongside Karim Benzema in training. "If this is the squad I have at start of season I will be a happy man," said Lopetegui. Refusing to speak on Bale’s probable move to England, "I don't walk to talk about hypothetical situations," said the former Spain boss.

"Gareth is happy to play at Real Madrid. This is a fantastic opportunity for him to show his talent. He is with the team. He is happy and aligned with our goals. It is the start of an exciting path for us," he said, signing off. Real Madrid are set to lock horns with Manchester United in the International Champions Cup in Miami on 1st of August.