Manchester United Transfer News: Gareth Bale Still Wanted in Latest Rumours

Manchester United will reportedly make another move to sign Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale next summer despite his consistent injury issues.

According to Jamie Jackson of the Guardian, the Red Devils have not been put off by the Welshman's struggles for fitness and will try to bring him to Old Trafford at the end of the campaign.

Jackson noted that Bale has missed 40 of the past 60 Real Madrid matches because of injury problems.

"United are encouraged by Bale's better appearance record when at Tottenham Hotspur and believe they could return him to a similar level of games," Jackson said. "He played 52 matches in the season before his move to Madrid, 48 the campaign before and 44 in 2010-11."

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David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror also suggested United will try to sign Bale in the summer and that this will be the third time they have made a serious move to sign the winger.

As we can see below, courtesy of AS, while Bale has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success since making the switch to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2013, he's proved to be a costly acquisition (h/t B/R Football):

When he has been on the field and performed to his best, the 28-year-old has been an incredible asset.

Bale's blistering pace, powerful running and ability to conjure incredible moments with his left foot have left many defenders dazed. They are attributes he showcased when scoring the winning goals in the 2013-14 Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League finals. In the final of the latter competition in 2015-16, he was Madrid's star man.

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Still, Madridistas will be left wondering what might have been with Bale, who has spent a lot of time on the sidelines in recent seasons. And as Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC relayed earlier in the campaign, fans have aired their frustrations with the forward as a result:

If United were to sign Bale, then it wouldn't be without a sense of risk attached given his sketchy fitness record.

After all, Madrid would still command an enormous fee for a footballer who has proved he is one of the best around on his day. Plus, by the time the 2018-19 campaign rolls around, Bale will have turned 29 and will potentially be beyond the best years of his career.

But the forward still has the class to transform an attack, per OptaJose:

This campaign does feel crucial for Bale. There is serious competition for his position at the Bernabeu, with Isco emerging as one of the best players in Spain and Marco Asensio a star of the future. If the Welshman can't recover his fitness, Real may be tempted to cash in.

And perhaps a move is what Bale needs. While there may be little he can do about his injury issues, a change of club, and a change of league with it, could revitalise him. United, you sense, would be delighted to finally get their man too.