Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema Rumours

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has confirmed Manchester United were interested in signing Los Blancos attackers Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema this summer, as well as centre-back Raphael Varane.

Perez spoke to Spanish radio station Cadena Ser this week, and when asked if the Red Devils had made a €100 million offer for former Tottenham Hotspur star Bale, replied (via Daily Mail's Pete Jenson): "No, that is a lie. We know that United showed interest in Bale, [Karim] Benzema and [Raphael] Varane."

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The Real Madrid figurehead went on to outline his club never intended to sell former United target Ramos, insisting the Premier League giants were merely "meddling in the situation" with their approach.

South American broadcaster Juan Arango provided further quotes from Perez, who questioned why his players would want to leave the Bernabeu for what he sees as a lesser destination:

United may hold a trump card in their pursuit of Bale considering the player is a British native, but persuading Benzema to leave for Old Trafford may be seen as a far more difficult venture.

Ex-Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert reinforced the allure of the Spanish capital when speaking to the Telegraph, a disadvantage English clubs are faced with when attempting to sign the world's finest players:

Ultimately, United manager Louis van Gaal went on to complete the deadline-day signing of Monaco forward Anthony Martial for a reported fee of £36 million.

The 19-year-old may not offer the same instant impact that Bale or Benzema might, but Martial is undoubtedly an investment in the long term, tipped by Goal's Robin Bairner as a prospect for the future:

Manchester United were in the hunt for an attacker after seeing Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez leave their ranks this summer, along with the previously on-loan Radamel Falcao.

Arsenal were most fervently linked with Benzema's potential acquisition and even made a substantial offer of £50 million, but Los Merengues weren't interested in selling, said the Daily Mail's Rob Draper:

Despite the fact Cristiano Ronaldo may hold seniority as the Bernabeu's biggest star, Benzema holds his own place of importance in Rafa Benitez's squad as the glue that holds the attack together.

Bale, on the other hand, may be seen by the Madrid support as somewhat more expendable, despite showing superb form for Wales after putting his nation on the brink of Euro 2016 qualification. Squawka detailed his fine scoring prowess with the national team:

United fans can be pleased with a busy summer of transfer activity and may be buoyed even more to hear their club is chasing some of the biggest targets on the continent, even if those pursuits bore no fruit.

There's always next year, though, and Real's success this season will dictate just how willing they are in listening to offers for Bale and Benzema, who are sure to earn United's attention in future.