Manchester United Transfer News: Gareth Bale Mega-Bid Rumours Spark Confusion
Manchester United are willing to pay €153 million (£120 million) to sign Gareth Bale from Real Madrid, according to B/R UK guest columnist Guillem Balague.
The Spanish football expert reported such an incredible claim during an article for AS, in which he states United "can enter the market and choose the biggest and freshest fish" without the need to worry about Financial Fair Play. 101 Great Goals tweeted the headline from Balague's article:
However, Balague had earlier played down United's interest before the AS piece was published:
In fact, Balague further denied a deal was in the works later:
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal talked about the move on Tuesday, declining to comment on a link, according to Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News:
While something of an unbelievable transfer possibility at this stage, conflicting reports have understandably left many supporters confused.
The outlined sum would come in at just over £120 million. Such a transfer would see Bale break his own record as the world's most expensive player and allow United to obliterate the £59.7 million British record paid for Angel Di Maria during the summer.
Balague suggests United face a battle to turn Bale's head, per AS:
"His clause is set at €1 billion and Real Madrid have no intention of selling the footballer. The Welshman’s camp say that they don’t know the origins of the stories, published in the UK, that claim that he would be willing to return to the Premier League.
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It is also suggested Bale is "happy" at the Bernabeu. "In order to change his mind, United must use more than their financial power," writes Balague.
Champions League football? Trophy success? Bale has this already at Madrid, so this deal still appears rather unlikely.
The crux of the story appears to be that, although United have the financial muscle and perhaps desire to claim Bale's signature, any bid is futile.
Even if Florentino Perez decides to snap up Marco Reus from Borussia Dortmund, Bale's sale wouldn't be needed.
Reus' reported £20 million buyout clause is a pittance to Los Blancos, and he is said to have already agreed a deal with the Spanish club, per Marc Williams of the Daily Star. Carlo Ancelotti wouldn't need to dramatically disrupt his squad and could push someone like Sami Khedira out to cover the cost.
Bale has scored 11 and assisted four in 21 appearances across all competitions this season, per WhoScored.com. His explosive power and sprint speed continue to impress, often allowing him to blitz beyond opponents.
Di Maria is the only player who offers United a driving force in possession, but his physicality is seriously lacking in comparison to Bale.
United reportedly offered more than the £85 million Madrid paid when Tottenham decided to sell the Welshman. It's no secret the Red Devils have coveted him before. They are sure to admire Bale's qualities right now, but even the most optimistic supporter is likely to agree it makes no sense for Madrid to sell.
For one, Bale is only 25 years old. He continues to contribute and has developed a prolific relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. Bale can be considered a Galactico and one of the few players who can lead Madrid to victory by scoring goals when either of his aforementioned team-mates fails to make the difference.
Van Gaal will certainly be looking for big-name signings at the end of the season. Chief executive Ed Woodward recently highlighted the club's transfer policy moving forward, per BBC Sport:
"We are not looking to enter the market for short-term fixes. However, we have targets we are looking at for next summer. Should any of them become available in January, which is obviously rare, we will consider acting. But it is a low probability.
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Even so, it's unlikely he would entertain a bid for Bale if Radamel Falcao's transfer is to be made permanent for around £45 million, particularly because other areas of the squad need to be quickly improved. It's likely United's best chance to sign Bale has already passed.
Football pundit Andy Brassell believes other targets should be United's priority in January, as told to B/R UK's Ryan Bailey:
The Bale story, while certainly exciting for supporters, ultimately seems unlikely at this point. Balague makes it clear that Real Madrid won't entertain selling the player, no matter United's willingness to drop a hefty sum. It's this line which is the most important as the rumour moves forward.
Van Gaal needs a handful of world-class players to dramatically improve his team. Falcao's brilliant header showed what he can do against Aston Villa, but United fans will be clamouring for more. A fee of €153 million could be used to thoroughly deep-root the squad, adding a number of high-profile individuals who can get the job done.
This is certainly a more realistic prospect than signing the man who has scored in Copa del Rey, Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup finals during his time with Madrid.
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