Manchester United Transfer News: Gareth Bale, Arjen Robben Double Raid Rumoured

Manchester United are prepared to spend up to £150 million to sign Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale and Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben in a "sensational double swoop," according to Luke Gardener of the Daily Star.

Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC wrote Bale could be let go by Real Madrid this summer, while Fichajes (h/t Gardener) claims the Red Devils are also tracking Robben, with his former national team manager Louis van Gaal a big admirer of the player. According to Gardener, those two deals could amount to £150 million.

If these reports are to be taken at face value, then it’s clear United have a particular player in mind. Both Bale and Robben are strong, powerful and dynamic runners with the ball who love to float into dangerous areas and take shots with their left foot. They are at different points in their respective careers, though.

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Bale is at the start of his peak years. This season the 26-year-old’s showcased his finest form for the Welsh national side, helping them qualify for the European Championships next summer. For Real Madrid he’s also shown some signs he’s set for a strong season after the disappointments of 2014-15 too.

As we can see here courtesy of Real Madrid’s Twitter feed, the Welshman has been looking sharp ahead of this weekend’s crunch clash with Barcelona:

Robben, while one of the finest wide players in the game, is the other side of his very best days as a player. 

When he gets out on the pitch for Bayern he is still well capable of making a massive impact for the German champions with his dangerous darts from the right flank. Robben scores goals, creates them and gives opposition defenders a really difficult time with his vibrant brand of wing play, qualities which manager Pep Guardiola surely cherishes.

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Since signing up at the Allianz Arena, Robben has been a consistent difference-maker for his team, as noted by OptaFranz:

However, injuries are becoming much more regular for the Dutchman and as such, the German giants may well think about cashing in should they receive a big offer at the end of the season. After all, it’s rare for teams to potentially pick up such a substantial sum for a 31-year-old and in Franck Ribery, Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa, Bayern have great depth in wide positions.

The latter, in particular, has been in devastating form for Bayern on the flanks since his summer transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk, as we can see:

So, while Robben would be capable of making a storming initial impact under a manager who has got the best from him previously, fitness permitting, Bale would be the more sensible acquisition. The Welshman has got plenty left in the tank, has proven he can shine in the Premier League previously and would become a long-term player at Old Trafford.

Luring him away from the Santiago Bernabeu will be the biggest challenge for United if they’re serious about a transfer. Bale is someone the La Liga giants spent big money on and with their current talisman Cristiano Ronaldo having a more minimal impact on matches these days, they will want the Welshman to fill his shoes in the years to come.