Manchester United Transfer News: Eden Hazard Move Could Force Gareth Bale Out?

The rumours linking Gareth Bale with Manchester United will not go away, and now more fuel has been thrown on to the fire with the news Real Madrid have their eye on Chelsea's Eden Hazard.

Jamie Anderson of the Express reports that Los Blancos "are eyeing-up a move" for the little Belgian wizard, a move which would certainly weaken Bale's position in the Galacticos first team.

Of course, at this stage both transfers have a touch of fantasy about them, but very few called Angel Di Maria's arrival at Old Trafford correct, leaving room for speculation such as Bale's purchase.

Another factor to consider is Madrid's reputation for buying the player who represents the flavour of the month. Allowing Di Maria to go so they could buy James Rodriguez is not a surprising act at Florentino Perez's football club.

David Wright of the Express says Madrid are "long-term admirers" of Hazard and tracked him during his years with Lille. He goes as far to say the famous Spanish club are preparing "for life without Gareth Bale," with United keen on a £90 million move for the Welshman.

And Bleacher Report writer and United fan, Paul Ansorge, recently gave a succinct opinion about Bale:

"

Watching Gareth Bale play is a joy.

— Paul (@UtdRantcast) November 4, 2014"

Any deal for Bale would be extraordinary from United and would represent a huge statement of intent by the Red Devils.

United do indeed need to strengthen at the back and in midfield, but if Louis van Gaal wants to add genuine pace to his attack, there is no one better in the wide positions than the former Tottenham Hotspur attacker.

Bale would surely want to stay with Madrid, first and foremost, but if he feels unwanted in the way Di Maria did, a move is possible.

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

But Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti seems to still have great faith in the club's record buy and recently indicated Bale will be in his future plans, per Alex Harris of the Daily Star.

"Bale deserves to play," Ancelotti said. "He is one of the best players in the world and a very important player for this team. Isco is playing well and we hope he can prolong the good moment he’s in until the end of the season. But he is also compatible with Bale."

Another fact that cannot be discounted is the success that the 25-year-old had in his first season in Spain—scoring in the Champions League final to help the team earn their 10th European Cup title—La Decima.

Bale hit 21 goals and provided 16 assists in his 39 La Liga and Champions League appearances last term, per WhoScored.com, proving he is more than just a work in progress at the moment.

Paul White/Associated Press

It is no surprise United would be interested in purchasing Bale, even if the transfer fee were to break the world record amount set when the player left Spurs. He is a special talent who can go on to be the best in the world—and importantly he has a strong and existing Premier League pedigree.

The sight of Bale and Di Maria would scare the life out of every opponent United faced, and with Radamel Falcao and Wayne Rooney in the centre, there would be goals aplenty.

However, United will be better served moving for a centre-back in the first instance. The current balance of the team is heavily weighted in attack, and the Red Devils need to find a way of protecting David De Gea, no matter how fantastic he is as a goalkeeper.

If they can achieve this in January and find their way into the top four, then a move for Bale could indeed become a reality.