Could United's Nani Be Part of a Cash-Plus-Player Deal for Spurs' Bale?

On Sunday at Old Trafford, as Manchester United searched for a late goal against Chelsea, Nani was nowhere to be found.

The winger who was once tipped to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo as the Premier League giant wasn’t even on the bench, and even if he had been it’s unlikely United boss Sir Alex Ferguson would have sent him on in place of Ryan Giggs. The 39-year-old Welshman has been the more dependable option this season, and that speaks volumes.

Since scoring in a 3-2 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in September, Nani, 26, has started just three Premier League matches, and his three goals in all competitions this season represents the lowest haul of not only his United career, but his two years as a youngster at Sporting Lisbon as well.

His ineffectiveness was one of the reasons Ferguson went out and spent £15 million on Crystal Palace attacker Wilfred Zaha in January, and while the Scot has said he has no plans to sell Nani in the summertime, it’s hard to see him resisting any meaningful offers for a player who was on the outskirts of his squad during a title-winning season.

Paris-Saint Germain have reportedly expressed interest in the Portugal international and would be willing to pay upwards of £10 million for his signature. (Mirror)

Porto, too, would be willing to take Nani on, particularly as part of a swap deal if United attempted to sign Colombia winger James Rodriguez, who has scored 10 league goals for the Primera Liga side so far this season.

And then there is Gareth Bale.

Ferguson reminded reporters on Saturday that he had tried to sign the Wales international while he was still at Southampton, saying, “We were disappointed in Southampton at the time because we were first there, but they never came back to us.” (Telegraph)

He added: “He reminds me a bit of when we signed Lee Sharpe. He was a six-foot, gangly, slim boy, but all of a sudden he was built like a heavyweight boxer. Bale is the same way in the way he has developed in the last two years physically. He has matured very well.”

Should Spurs fail to qualify for the Champions League, Bale might just be on the market again. And in addition to paying the sort of fee Spurs chairman Daniel Levy would demand for his best player, it’s conceivable United could include Nani as part of a swap deal.

“We will maybe look at one or two bodies to come in [during the summer],” Ferguson said last week. “Any time we have asked for money from the owners they have delivered. That will apply itself this year. There is no doubt about that.” (Guardian)

United are also thought to be entertaining the possibility of bringing Ronaldo back to Old Trafford, but with Spurs presently fifth in the Premier League and two points back of Arsenal, it’s rather more likely Bale will be on the auction block over the next few months.

Follow @jerradpeters