Gareth Bale has long been linked with a high-profile switch to Manchester United, even before his current club Real Madrid previously made him the world’s most expensive footballer back in 2013.
The now 28-year- old was lured to the Bernabeu four years ago with a lucrative deal as he was made the then dearest footballer ever, costing the Spanish giants around €100 million to gain his attacking services. He made an instant impact, incredibly going on to both the Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League in his maiden season there.
Bale has gone on to clinch an impressive ten major honours with the Galacticos since his record-breaking arrival, including a trio of European Cup successes and a single La Liga victory in 2017. Added to this are wins in the domestic Spanish Super Cup as well as continental honours such as the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
Since those dizzying highs, though, the Wales international wide man has suffered some frustrating lows in recent times. Bale was annoyingly sat on the sidelines earlier due to injury setbacks, while he had also struggled to gain form and momentum under legendary club boss Zinedine Zidane.
So, could Manchester United attempt to end Bale’s supposed Spanish woes by overseeing his arrival at Old Trafford? The Red Devils are reportedly desperate to see him return to the Premier League within their ranks.
Currently, Jose Mourinho’s side are aiming to clinch the top-flight title, but face a tough test of doing so with neighbours and bitter rivals Manchester City seemingly looking like running away with things domestically. The Red Devils are still in with a shout, though, and can be backed at a promising 14/1 through mobile betting sites on your iPhone to land a stunning Premier League title triumph come next May.
Mourinho’s current crop are enjoying a fairly strong season of their own, but Man City are just blowing teams out of the water and making others look inferior. The returns of reliable frontman Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfield maestro Paul Pogba has only boosted their form too.
But could Mourinho make a surprise swoop in January for Welsh wizard Bale? It’s clear that the former Tottenham winger has stuttered in recent months and was previously reported to desire a return to England’s top tier division.
A swoop in next year’s summer transfer window does look more likely, though, with Bale’s current French coach Zidane having recently outlined intentions of retaining his player’s services for the near future.
“We know exactly what Gareth can bring us,” declared the Frenchman after a recent La Liga win for his current side. “It is true that there has been a lot of fuss about his injuries, and that he has played just three games before another [setback]. ”
“We just want him back 100 percent. Bale will not need so much time as there was not a big gap before the two injuries this time around. In the January market, there will be no exits. But anything can still happen in terms of arrivals, so we will see.”
It sounds like Zidane is keen on keeping Bale on Spanish soil but the rumours of a Man Utd swoop are certainly not going away after he made a return from his injury problems.