Manchester United Transfer Rumours: Latest on Red Devils' Pursuit of Gareth Bale

While speculation about Wayne Rooney's future runs rampant at Old Trafford, Manchester United appear set to make an offer for a young star who might just take his place in David Moyes' lineup next season. 

According to Oliver Holt of Mirror, the Red Devils are set to lodge a £60 million bid for Tottenham's Gareth Bale in the coming days. 

If United was able to pull off a move of that nature, Rooney would suddenly become more expendable at Old Trafford and it could open the door for the transfer that has been looming over his head since the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson reign last season. 

Per the report, Mirror is making the connection between United chief executive Ed Woodward leaving the team's current tour early and the proposed pursuit of Bale. Sky Sports had that tweet as Woodward was confirmed as absent from United's Wednesday activities:

Bale is one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in England. 

The 24-year-old Welshman scored 21 goals in 34 English Premier League games during the 2013-14 season. He helped the Spurs reach the brink of a Champions League berth toward the end of the EPL season, but Tottenham lost out to Arsenal and would have to settle for fifth place in the table. 

If United was able to secure Bale's services away from White Hart Lane, the Moyes era would certainly begin with a bang.

The Rooney situation has clouded the immediate future of what Moyes will have to work with in his first season as manager, but Bale's presence would likely make United the unquestioned favorites to repeat as EPL champions. 

As LiveFootball put it on Twitter, there's still plenty of ways the transfer market could shift the balance of power in English football:

While United prepare to break the bank to chase Bale, reports are surfacing that Tottenham are not going to be persuaded by money when it comes to their star midfielder. 

He's been the subject of transfer rumours throughout the current window, yet remains firmly entrenched in Andre Villas-Boas' plans for the upcoming EPL season. 

According to Jason Burt of The Telegraph, the Spurs have maintained their "no-sale" stance on Bale for quite some time. They recently told Real Madrid they will not accept an offer for Bale to move to Spain, and Burt's piece suggests even a £60 million bid—or more—will not sway bosses at White Hart Lane. 

A fee of that nature would smash both United and the EPL's record for a transfer. The record, which Chelsea currently holds, belongs to Fernando Torres' move from Liverpool to Stamford Bridge two years ago.

Burt claims the Spurs are "relaxed" about any incoming bid they might receive for Bale. That notion falls directly in line with an AS report from Sergio Gomez, which claims the Spurs are prepared to double Bale's current weekly salary. 

Per the report, Tottenham bosses would be prepared to offer Bale a £150,000-per-week figure if he decides to stay at White Hart Line. That number would put Bale in the upper echelon of EPL stars in terms of contract figures, and cement Tottenham's faith in his ability to lead them to an EPL title soon. 

Sky Sports reported on Thursday that Bale was training with Tottenham despite the rumours that have persisted concerning United's interest. 

He scored the team's lone goal in a 1-1 friendly draw against Swindon on Tuesday, and at this point, it would not appear that anything between the Spurs and Red Devils is imminent. 

That being said, United has the impact and the wages to match anything Tottenham can offer Bale. If it takes more than £60 million I wouldn't be surprised, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see United break the mold in a transfer if they thought the incoming player was worth the money. 

Bale is worth the money. Whether he gets it from United or Tottenham remains to be seen. 

Follow Ethan Grant (@DowntownEG) on Twitter.