Gareth Bale Transfer Rumours: Latest News on Manchester United Target

Manchester United are said to have made a £117 million bid to sign Gareth Bale from Real Madrid, according to reports.

Spanish publication Fichajes (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro) suggests the Red Devils are ready to drop a world-record sum on the former Tottenham Hotspur star, who continues to draw criticism at the Bernabeu.

Nick Lustig of the Daily Star believes United boss Louis van Gaal "has instructed club chiefs" to prepare a £120 million attempt for the electric forward.

Bale was jeered by Madrid fans when he failed to supply Cristiano Ronaldo with a simple pass during Saturday's win over Espanyol, as reported by Associated Press (h/t Telegraph Sport).

Audible disdain was obvious—despite Bale scoring a terrific free-kick before the half-hour mark—and it was intensified by the winger making a similar mistake during the recent defeat to Valencia.

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Ronaldo recently defended his team-mate, reported by Luke Augustus of Mail Online:

"

What's happened on Saturday is in the past. Sometimes I commit some mistakes too, so it's part of the business, it is part of football so I think fans will be nice to him and they should be nice to him. He's a key player, very important for Real Madrid and we're going to need him this year again.

"

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Guillem Balague, Sky Sports' resident Spanish football expert, recently discussed the notion that Bale holds on to the ball too long: "The criticism goes beyond just being a ball hog. There are people saying that he is in a world of his own, he doesn’t link up or collaborate enough with Madrid’s attacks and that he is always thinking of scoring and creating his own chances."

Although Bale has netted eight goals and provided three assists in 14 La Liga appearances this season, per WhoScored, Balague does agree "he has to work harder both defensively and in the team’s build-up play."

Balague also expects Bale to remain with Real Madrid, as told to B/R UK's Ryan Bailey:

United continue to be linked with world-class signings, underlined by unlikely stories suggesting an ambitious bid could be made for Lionel Messi, per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian. While such speculation is easy to dismiss, Louis van Gaal needs to add top quality to his squad if the Red Devils are to become a European force once more.

Bale is a proven Premier League star—scoring 21 goals during his final season with Spurs—and wouldn't need much time to adapt. United have struggled to replace wingers Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo in recent years, with players such as Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia and Nani failing to deliver on their potential.

Madrid fans are among the most demanding on the planet. Bale needs to continue working on his overall game to overcome the crowd's wrath, so it's certainly a test of character for him to remain in the Spanish capital.

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He has beaten such odds before—many will remember when he came close to joining Birmingham for £3 million after failing to impress at Spurs in 2009—so it would be foolish to write him off.

It wouldn't be surprising if United eventually made an approach, but right now, Bale remains a key player in Los Blancos' quest for silverware.