Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Gareth Bale and Angel Di Maria Rumours

Manchester United will reportedly look to use David de Gea as a "makeweight" in an attempt to sign Gareth Bale from Real Madrid, a part-exchange transfer that could in turn lead to Angel Di Maria leaving the club.

That's according to Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star, who suggests "Bale's arrival would see United look to offload record signing Angel Di Maria to the highest bidder after just one season."

Madrid President Florentino Perez was recently forced to defend Bale, who has been subjected to jeers from Los Blancos supporters. The Welshman ended his nine-game goal drought by scoring both goals in the club's recent win over Levante, turning home a rebound from Cristiano Ronaldo's shot and later deflecting another of his Portuguese team-mate's attempts into the net.

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Speculation over De Gea's future also persists. His current deal expires at the end of next season, meaning his value will start to lower by the January 2016 transfer window if he doesn't put pen to paper before then.

Andy Mitten of the Manchester Evening News suggests there is little chance of De Gea staying in the long term even if he does agree an extension:

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The chance of De Gea staying long term are slim. He’s fine in Manchester and hasn’t made a definite decision on where he’ll be next season, but there are credible voices in Madrid who think he’ll start next season as Real Madrid’s number one. ...

United will try and get De Gea to sign a contract so that they can achieve a significant price for the world’s best goalkeeper. United can then justify the sale with a big profit, as they did with the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo, not that fans will be pleased if De Gea leaves.

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The notion of a player-plus-cash deal for Bale isn't new, particularly as he would likely cost more than the world-record £85 million Madrid splashed out on him in 2013. United have a world-class substitute goalkeeper in Victor Valdes and capable reserve in Anders Lindegaard, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see the lure of Spain's capital eventually prove too great for the current No. 1.

If United are looking for a reason to cash in on Di Maria, Bale's arrival would be it.

The two were extremely successful together in Madrid, though, and Di Maria may feel he has plenty to prove in Manchester. His recent sending off during the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Arsenal summarised his season, which continues to deteriorate after a bright start.

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Van Gaal recently admitted he won't stand in Di Maria's way if he wishes to depart. An attempted burglary at the Argentinian's Manchester home—which has now been put up for sale, The Guardian reported—is said to be impacting his form. Van Gaal suggests a summer sale is possible on compassionate grounds, per David Wright of the Express:

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I am always like that. When you see my history, that's part of my philosophy. A player is not just a man who kicks the ball from A to B. His environment is influencing him. I shall always be open (to his sale) but I know that the commercial interests of the club and we have to respect that. You cannot give a lot of money for a player and next season put him out of your selection.

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Wright's report indicates only Paris Saint-Germain can stump up the £59.7 million United want to recoup for their British-record signing. B/R UK's Stan Collymore believes United are destined to spend considerable cash no matter what:

There are plenty of "ifs, buts and maybes" here. At the heart of the speculation is a story that makes sense: that De Gea will eventually head to the Bernabeu.

Whether United can use this inevitability to their advantage remains to be seen. Bale appeared to vent plenty of frustration when he scored against Levante, suggesting he isn't totally happy in Spain. Considering United were said to be after him when he moved from Tottenham, it's likely the club still hope to secure his talent in the future.