Manchester United Transfer News: Gareth Bale Deal Reportedly Gets Green Light

Gareth Bale scored vital goals in Real Madrid's victorious Champions League and Copa del Rey finals last year, but the Bernabeu outfit are reportedly prepared to let the Welshman go after just over a season at the club.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net (h/t Metro), Bale is Manchester United's main target for the January transfer window, and Real are prepared to sell him to the Old Trafford outfit for £90 million after his 2013 summer arrival for £85 million from Tottenham:

"It’s claimed manager Carlo Ancelotti has agreed to lose Bale, as he no longer considers him a first-choice, following an impressive run of matches from Isco," notes the Metro report.

Indeed, despite Bale's winner against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final last season—provided below by Bleacher Report UK—and his crucial extra-time header to make it 2-1 in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid, it seems the 25-year-old is not seen as essential to Los Blancos' future prospects:

He was also impressive in the league, scoring 15 and assisting 12, per WhoScored.com, and he has recently been named among the 23 nominees for the Ballon d'Or, per FIFA:

However, a majority of 30,000 readers who took part in a recent AS poll voted to see Bale on the bench behind Isco and James Rodriguez when the Wales international returns from injury despite Ancelotti recently stressing his importance to the side, per Chris Waugh in the Daily Mail:

"

Gareth Bale is very important for us because he has a fantastic quality in every sense. We have to replace him. We have a fantastic squad so we have to replace him. You lose things in both attack and defence with Gareth.

"

This is all good news for Louis van Gaal and United if they are indeed set on signing Bale in the upcoming January transfer window.

But they will reportedly have to shell out a huge amount of money for his services, with Metro reporting a £300,000-a-week pay packet on top of the astronomical transfer fee.

While the Red Devils' summer exploits—in which they spent over £150 million on the likes of Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw—have shown they are prepared to splash the cash, it is unclear whether Bale is a player they really need.

Partnering Bale with Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie is a terrifically exciting prospect, but it is clear that United's greater need is to strengthen their weak-looking defence.

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

If Bale was to arrive at Old Trafford in January for £90 million in place of any adequate reinforcements at the back, it is unlikely Van Gaal's current problems—namely disorganisation in defence—would be solved.

However, if the United hierarchy are lining up another £100 million-plus spending spree in January which would include a Mats Hummels or an Ezequiel Garay along with Bale, Red Devils fans would have a very exciting second half of the season on their hands.