Gareth Bale needs to sit down with Real Madrid to resolve the ongoing uncertainty around his future at the club, according to John Toshack.
The former Real Madrid and Wales manager also believes Bale would benefit from being more open in public about his issues at the club.
The 31-year-old has been out of favour under Zinedine Zidane this season, making just 20 appearances in all competitions and looking noticeably awkward during Madrid's La Liga title celebrations.
Bale almost left for China at the start of the season but now looks destined to remain on the periphery at the Santiago Bernabeu unless another club matches his €15 million (£13.7m/$17.2m) per year wages.
That stagnation has left a feeling that Bale is letting his talent go to waste as he nears the end of his peak years - and Toshack wants to see the situation resolved.
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"Very often these things happen," Toshack told BBC Radio Wales.
"Things don't turn out and the coach has got other ideas and you've got to sit down and work it out.
"I think there's got to be some kind of dialogue there and they've got to sit down."
Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, has repeatedly dismissed reports that the winger could leave Madrid, recently saying he is “going nowhere” this summer and will see out the remaining two years on his contract.
However, Toshack thinks fans would appreciate hearing more directly from Bale himself.
"I don't think too many people here have been pleased with the comments that have come out of the people that represent him,” Toshack said.
"I would like to see Gareth say a little bit more himself and I think a lot of people here [in Spain] would as well.
"But the ins and outs of the whole thing, I'm not sure.
"But when an agent comes out and said he's got another two years of his contract, and he's going to see his contract out then it's certainly not the road that I would take."
With the title wrapped up, Bale was left out of the travelling squad which drew 2-2 with Leganes on the final day of the Spanish league season.
It remains to be seen whether he will be part of Zidane’s plans for the Champions League last-16 second-leg game with Manchester City on August 7.