Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Gareth Bale, Kevin Strootman Rumours

Gareth Bale is reportedly ready to return to the Premier League with Manchester United for what would be a world-record transfer fee.

The Real Madrid winger became the most expensive player in the game’s history when he signed for the Spanish giants from Tottenham Hotspur, and according to Fichajes.net (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro), Bale is ready to return to England after just 15 months in La Liga.

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Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal was pressed on the prospect of a bid—reportedly set to be just shy of £120 million, per Sanderson's piece—ahead of United’s Boxing Day clash with Newcastle United, but he was giving nothing away in his answer.

“I cannot discuss that with you,” said the Dutchman, per James Whaling of the Daily Mirror. “I discuss that with my CEO and not with anyone of the media.”

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At odds with recent reports, Bleacher Report’s Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has claimed Bale is settled in Spain and rumours of a transfer are unfounded:

But Alfredo Relano of AS offers insight as to why the 25-year-old might fancy a move back to English football:

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He’s not at the heart of the team but fits in well. But he’s a lad who tends to look for refuge with the other English speakers in the squad (and this is totally understandable) and has shown little interest in picking up the language (Beckham left Madrid after four years unable to speak Spanish) and this doesn’t help him.

Madrid could cash in on him and at the same time bring in Reus, but am not sure if this would be for the best, and less so for him.

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Bale has become a vital player for Real since his transfer, and while Cristiano Ronaldo hogs much of the spotlight when it comes to Los Blancos, it’s the Welshman who has stepped up at critical times for the club over the last 15 months; winning goals in the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals certainly attest to that.

Here is a look at some of Bale’s best moments in the iconic all-white strip so far:

The prospect of seeing the former Spurs man in a United shirt would stir understandable excitement among the club’s supporters, but to spend that much on an attacking player when there are voids throughout other areas of the squad would be naive and misguided on the part of Van Gaal.

With money seemingly no object for either side, ultimately this one could come down to the player’s wishes. As noted by Ballague, and as we can see below per Real Madrid’s Twitter account, Bale is a player that looks settled and fulfilled at the Santiago Bernabeu:

United should look to put those funds to better use elsewhere, and as noted by Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe, Kevin Strootman would be an ideal option to come in and add some industry to the heart of the Red Devils’ midfield:

However, as has been the case throughout the season, a Roma delegate has come out and confirmed there will be no January deal for the player. This time, it’s Giallorossi president James Pallotta who has insisted the Dutchman will be going nowhere, touching upon the importance of his influence in the team, per Radio Roma (h/t David Lynch of the Manchester Evening News).

“We’d be first in the League if it wasn’t for the injuries to [Leandro] Castan and Strootman.” he said. “Strootman will not go to [Manchester] United.”

Here's a look at what the 24-year-old could add to Van Gaal's squad:

Roma have made their position on Strootman’s future abundantly clear on many occasions, and as noted here by Football365 earlier this month, it’s getting a little bit ridiculous now:

The most obvious and most likely situation when it comes to Strootman is that United will monitor his progress for the rest of the season from afar, and if Van Gaal still remains keen on the player in the summer, they will make a bid.

After all, Strootman is only just returning to action on the back of a serious injury layoff, and as we’ve seen to an extent with United’s own Radamel Falcao, overcoming these kinds of problems can take a lot of time and careful consideration. With that in mind, a change of club and a change of league would be unwise for the player’s recuperation.