Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Gareth Bale and Neymar Rumours

As the summer transfer window reaches its conclusion, the rumours surrounding Manchester United's activity intensify—with Gareth Bale now being linked with a sensational world-record move to Old Trafford. 

Steve Bates of the Sunday People (h/t the Mirror) says Louis van Gaal is "banking on a dramatic 72-hour window of ­opportunity" to purchase the £95 million Welshman, who has become the scapegoat for Real Madrid's recent failures on the pitch. The winger has been singled out by the crowd at the Bernabeu, and the United hierarchy believe they can exploit this element in the final hours of the window. 

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Bale has been a long-term target of the Red Devils, but they missed out on his signature when the player left Tottenham Hotspur two years ago. The attacker won the Champions League at his first attempt with Los Blancos—as Madrid achieved its La Decima success with Bale scoring in the final—but the Brit struggled to impress during his second campaign, which saw coach Carlo Ancelotti ruthlessly sacked by president Florentino Perez.

Bale's lack of popularity in the Spanish capital appears to not be a myth, with a recent AS poll clearly showing the 26-year-old player is not regarded in the same light as most of his team-mates, per the Daily Mail:

Popularity is one of the core foundations of the Galacticos, with superstar signings expected every summer, and the failure of last season is likely to trigger Perez's thirst in the transfer market once again. If he has to find space in the squad to acquire a new talent, Bale might be sacrificed if his face doesn't fit with the supporters. This happened with Cesc Fabregas at Barcelona—who became unpopular with the Camp Nou faithful—and he was soon shipped out as a result. 

Despite the claims surrounding Bale's standing with the Madristas, the attacker returned a credible set of figures for the 2014-15 campaign. Bale scored 15 goals and provided 10 assists in his 41 appearances in La Liga and the Champions League, per WhoScored.com. However, when compared with Cristiano Ronaldo's 58 goals and 19 assists, it is clear to see why he is harshly judged as an underachiever. 

United looked toothless in their goalless draw with Newcastle on Saturday, and LvG must address the lack of genuine pace in his attack before the close of the window.

Bates stated Bale is the player Van Gaal "really wants" to solve this problem, and United have the bank balance to pull off such an audacious move. 

Football writer Rich Laverty believes Madrid would find it difficult to turn down a world-record bid for Bale, with Thomas Muller also on United's radar:

Neymar To United Quashed By Agent

As the Reds prepare a late assault for Bale, it seems the chase for Barcelona's Neymar is over before it began. 

Neymar's agent Wagner Ribeiro has moved quickly to kill speculation after the Sun broke its world exclusive that United would bid for the Brazilian superstar. Ribeiro told Globo Esporte (h/t Sky Sports) the transfer story is completely false: "There is nothing. He has three years left on his contract. The British newspapers are very speculative. Barcelona have never thought of selling Neymar and he is very happy there."

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The sudden link between United and Neymar appeared to be a tall story, with the Sun substantiating its claim by picturing one of the player's representatives at Old Trafford on Saturday. However, Ribeiro's comments are conclusive, and leaves any further rumours dead in the water. 

Despite the claims of many tabloids, it is difficult to see United grabbing a player like Bale at such a late stage of the window.

The biggest transfer deals take months to construct and execute, and Ed Woodward would need to part with an unearthly sum of money to sign one of world football's genuine elite. 

However, Bale would be perfect for United as LvG persists with his preference for 4-2-3-1. The Old Trafford club don't have a bona fide world-class attacker in their ranks, and Bale would solve the nagging issue of pace in the Red Devils' starting XI.