Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Gareth Bale Bid Rumours and More

Manchester United preserve a genuine interest in Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale but have yet to lodge an official bid for the Welshman.

That’s according to Bryan Swanson of Sky Sports, who writes that while no “formal talks” have taken place between the two parties, the Red Devils are still keen admirers of the former Tottenham Hotspur man. It’s also claimed that despite the interest, Bale is not expected to leave the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.

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Those reports were substantiated by Bleacher Report’s Guillem Balague, who was insistent that the player would not be leaving Real any time soon:

Bale joined Los Blancos in the summer of 2013 for a world-record fee, and according to Swanson, United had a bid turned down for him then.

Since rocking up in the Spanish capital, Bale has endured some ups and downs. Despite scoring the winning goals in the Champions League final and Copa del Rey final in his first season, the Welshman was the target of the Bernabeu boo boys in his second term after some mediocre displays. 

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But talk of a move away from the club seems a little premature. Manager Rafa Benitez has given Bale a central role in his side by deploying him at No. 10, looking to get the Welshman a little more involved in general play.

It's still early days for Bale in this role, but as noted here by ESPN’s Dermot Corrigan, the Welshman was one of Real’s better players in a disappointing opening day draw with Sporting Gijon:

United certainly could do with a player of Bale’s quality in the final third. He's proven in the Premier League, produces his best at precarious moments and can transform defence into attack seamlessly with his sensational bursts forward. As a British player, the prospect of a move to a club like United would also be tantalising.

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Full Time DEVILS expect manager Louis van Gaal to make a late foray into the transfer market, but are not hopeful of him acquiring a superstar player:

This season is a vital one for Bale. He’s been handed increased responsibility by Benitez, and if he relishes it, memories of a poor 2014-15 will quickly be forgotten by the notoriously fickle Madridistas, who pack out the Bernabeu. If things remain as they are, or even get worse, the prospect of a return to the Premier League would surely start to look appealing.

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As such, it’s no surprise the Red Devils are interested, and you can bet they’ll be first in line should Bale become available soon. But with attacking reinforcements needed in the immediacy, it’s important that Van Gaal shifts his attentions to more realistic targets in the final stages of the transfer window.