Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Gareth Bale, Donny Van De Beek Rumours
Manchester United will reportedly solve their issues in attack with a world-record bid for Real Madrid's Gareth Bale when the January transfer window opens.
Steve Bates of the Sunday People claim Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal will look towards the £90 million Welsh superstar in the coming months as his forwards continue to fire blanks.
United failed to hit the back of the net for the third successive game after their goalless draw against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, as Wayne Rooney once again looked short of the form needed to keep the Old Trafford giants in the title picture.
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Van Gaal was concerned after the result, saying his team might not have enough in attack, as quoted by James Robson of the Manchester Evening News:
"I am not happy because if you want to be the champions, you have to win these kinds of matches. Arsenal beat Swansea, for example. We lost against Swansea, even though we were the better team, but they have beaten them 3-0.
...
You have to finish the chances.
In the last minute of the first half, Ander Herrera could have finished it but he didn’t.
I asked him and he didn’t know why, so that is a pity.
But I can’t complain about the result because I don’t think we were the better team today.
"
The report said Bale is considered the solution by LvG, and executive vice chairman Ed Woodward is "committed" to signing the 26-year-old when the transfer window reopens after Christmas.
Bale has failed to win over the Madrid public since his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur, and United believe they can exploit his "unrest" as Real review their options. Van Gaal will not consider a swap deal involving goalkeeper David De Gea, but he will offer the Wales international a route out of the Bernabeu if he wishes for a return to the Premier League, per Bates' report.
The Galacticos will have to choose which direction they will take their team in, as rumours spread Cristiano Ronaldo could also leave the club, as confirmed by Guillem Balague to talkSPORT (h/t the Mirror's Liam Prenderville.)
A move to Old Trafford is an option for Ronaldo, but Balague believes the former United icon will chose Paris Saint-Germain as his next club. This leaves United free to concentrate on Bale, but if Ronaldo moves to Ligue 1, the chances of signing the Welshman will surely diminish.
Real legend Zinedine Zidane recently said neither player is for sale, telling ShortList Bale's future lies at the heart of Madrid's ambitions:
"Of course clubs are going to want Gareth, he is one of the best in the world, but I am not sure how much clearer we can be. Gareth has made it clear, his agent has made it clear, we have made it clear, his future is at Real Madrid. We sign the best players in the world, we don’t sell them.
"
Last season, the former full-back netted only 13 times in La Liga, according to WhoScored.com, while Ronaldo bagged 48 goals over the same period.
This explains why Madridistas have not taken Bale to their heart, and president Florentino Perez might have to look elsewhere to find a player who can rival Ronaldo's statistics.
United Track Ajax Academy Talent
Van Gaal is looking into the talents of Dutch midfield sensation Donny van de Beek, and has "increased his scouting" of the 18-year-old after receiving excellent feedback on the Ajax midfielder.
The Tom Hopkinson of the Sunday People said United will up their focus in the talented player, who won Ajax's Talent of the Future award last year. The accolade has previously been collected by the likes of Wesley Sneijder, Christian Eriksen and Daley Blind, and it is viewed as a sure indicator of a top-class, burgeoning talent.
Recently the MailOnline compared Van De Beek's skill set to former Netherlands legend Dennis Bergkamp, after scoring an audacious chipped goal for his club's academy side, with the former Arsenal player now in charge of the Ajax youth setup.
The youngster is a natural No. 10, and he could be viewed as an affordable option to replace Rooney in the years ahead.
United are stuck in flux at present; results are not poor, as the team currently sits in the Premier League top four, but the attack looks weak and tepid.
The addition of Bale would immediately solve this issue, bringing flair and pace to a pedestrian part of the pitch for Van Gaal.
Rooney is on his way out of this incarnation of United, as his form will eventually catch up with his first-team selection, leaving the door open for a new superstar to arrive at Old Trafford, taking the reins of responsibility at the north-west giants.
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