Manchester United Transfer News: Gareth Bale Odds Plummet as Rumours Grow

The odds on Gareth Bale leaving Real Madrid to join Manchester United have taken a significant dip.

As reported by Aaron Flanagan of the Mirror, a flurry of bets over the last 24 hours has seen the former Tottenham man become a more likely candidate to join the Red Devils in the eyes of the bookmakers.

Flanagan reports odds given by Betfair, who currently mark the likelihood of Bale's Old Trafford arrival at 6-4. He also notes original 11-4 odds have come in to 11-8. Oddschecker.com summarises the odds on Bale's club after the summer transfer window, with BetVictor even offering evens.

Betfair trader Michael Bowers commented, per Flanagan:

"

Bale has been backed to 6-4 to go to United after seeing considerable support for him over the course of the day. He will be hot property in the Premier League despite a relatively poor run of form for Real, and could well be exactly what Louis Van Gaal needs in his armoury with Falcao looking likely to leave at the end of the season.

"

David Ramos/Getty Images

Of course, odds are influenced by the amount of money being placed. Links between Bale and United continue to roll on and have been a staple of the transfer rumour mill since he left Spurs for the Spanish capital in 2013.

United failed to capture him with a hefty bid two years ago, and after spending £59.7 million on Angel Di Maria, they may be looking to continue adding world-class stars. Di Maria has suffered a poor run of form recently, and according to The Sun (h/t Charles Perrin of the Daily Express), he could be destined to move on just a year after joining Louis van Gaal's club.

A "fall-out" between the pair was reported after United's 2-1 win over Liverpool, per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Van Gaal introduced Di Maria during the second half and subsequently berated the team's tendency to run the ball into trouble from this point, per Luckhurst. 

"In the second half everything is changing because of (Steven Gerrard's) red and then we are not anymore playing like a team," Van Gaal said. "We are running with the ball, unnecessary losses of the ball, so that was not so good."

Bale has struggled with holding onto the ball too long at the Bernabeu, so it's difficult to suggest he would be a perfect fit if Van Gaal is looking for his players to primarily pass their way beyond opponents. The Welshman currently holds the unflattering nickname "ball hog" in Madrid and was recently jeered for failing to set team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo up with a simple tap-in during the January win over Espanyol.

Ronaldo also continues to be linked with United, reported by Sport (h/t Bruce Archer of the Daily Express). B/R UK's Ryan Bailey and Thom Gibbs recently discussed who would be the better signing for Van Gaal's side:

Simon Jones of the Daily Mail believes Bale "is prepared to resist all offers of a return to the Barclays Premier League" in order to remain with Madrid.

He notes the £75 million buyout clause in his contract, something United could afford without needing to significantly alter their squad. Van Gaal worked hard to cut loose unneeded players last summer—even if only on loan, as seen with Nani and Tom Cleverley—to help battle against the side's lack of Champions League funds.

Qualifying for the elite European competition could define whether Bale, or someone equally as impressive, heads to the Theatre of Dreams.

John Brewin of ESPN FC believes United represent "the most obvious destination" for the 25-year-old by default. He noted Arsenal cannot afford to pay the aforementioned sum, while Manchester City and Chelsea would have to seriously restructure their squads to fit in with UEFA's financial fair play guidelines.

David Ramos/Getty Images

Paul Hayward of The Telegraph believes Bale's guts deserve to be recognised no matter what happens:

Van Gaal has taken most of the season to find a profitable United lineup. His 4-3-3 formation has helped the side post its two best performances of the campaign in recent wins over Spurs and Liverpool, but the Red Devils need more if they're to compete for silverware next campaign.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Di Maria is yet to prove himself on English soil. He continues to misplace passes and run into trouble with the ball, but he's United's only electric outlet of speed aside from Antonio Valencia, who is subdued at right-back. Bale could provide the pace and power needed to drive United forward.

His transfer threatens to rank among the biggest of the summer. The bookmakers are obviously worried enough to cover their backs, but there's still a long way to go before this deal becomes a reality. With a player of Bale's standard, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him quickly find a burst of form and become a Madrid hero again.