Manchester United Transfer News: New Gareth Bale Rumours, Felipe Anderson Latest

Real Madrid's decision to sack Rafael Benitez will reportedly prompt Manchester United into rekindling their interest in Gareth Bale.

According to Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail, the Welshman is "upset" Benitez was given the boot on Monday, per the club's official website, and as a result, United's hopes of luring him back to the Premier League have "improved," with their previous interest in the former Tottenham Hotspur man noted.

Zinedine Zidane is the man who will take over from Benitez at the Santiago Bernabeu, and according to Jenson, "the Frenchman's first job will be to persuade Bale that in spite of a third managerial change in his two-and-a-half-year spell at the club, his place is still in the Spanish capital."

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As we can see here, courtesy of Squawka Football, although Benitez was much maligned among Madridistas, he was getting the best out of Bale:

What happens now will certainly be intriguing, with a new manager always likely to bring in fresh ideas and different personnel. Zidane is unproven when it comes to coaching at the very highest level, though, meaning it's difficult to accrue a grasp on the kinds of players he prefers and the manner in which his teams will play.

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If the scenario has unsettled Bale, then United would be wise to try to capitalise. After a difficult second season at the club, the Welshman has arguably been Real's standout performer this term, showing beyond doubt he possesses the talent and temperament to thrive for one of the biggest sporting institutions on the planet.

He'd certainly give United a timely attacking boost. As ESPN FC's Alex Shaw notes here, at home in particular, it's been a big struggle to score goals:

At this juncture, it's too early to say exactly how Zidane's appointment will alter Bale's position, but the Frenchman would be unwise to make too many tweaks to his spot in the side given the standard to which the forward has been playing.

For United, a club that has a longstanding reputation for attracting the best British players, it'd be a fantasy capture. Of course, any deal is a fair way off at the moment, but there are few associated with the Old Trafford outfit who'll be disappointed to hear reports stating a move is a more likely possibility.

Felipe Anderson Latest

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Manchester United's suggested pursuit of Lazio winger Felipe Anderson is reportedly in doubt due to Watford's interest in one of the Serie A side's other players.

According to Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia, via Jonathan Green of the Daily Star), the Hornets are chasing young winger Keita Balde Diao, and Lazio would prefer to lose him than Anderson. Losing both, however, would leave the capital club short in wide positions, potentially scuppering United's pursuit of the Brazilian.

Green writes the Red Devils remain intent on adding Anderson to their squad in what could be a £35 million deal. Here is why those reports have got some United fans excited:

Anderson is the kind of player who could enliven a Red Devils attack that has been one-dimensional this term. The Lazio winger is extremely skilful and dynamic, capable of floating in from the left side and thundering shots at goal or taking on his opposing defender down the line to great effect.

However, as noted by Spanish football journalist Rafael Hernandez, Anderson is a player who has yet to find consistency:

Indeed, the Red Devils already possess a stylistically similar player in Memphis Depay, who has struggled badly in the constraints of manager Louis van Gaal's system. Anderson, you suspect, may do the same.

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The Brazilian is probably a little more rounded than Depay, though, and has proved he can cut it in one of European football's elite leagues. There's undeniable talent there to exploit, and Anderson is the kind of player who would have thrilled the Old Trafford crowd in years gone by. Whether he'd be given license to do so upon signing would be a big concern at present.