Real Madrid Transfer News: Manchester United Want Gareth Bale Price Tag Halved

Manchester United reportedly maintain an interest in Real Madrid wide man Gareth Bale—but only if Los Blancos are willing to halve their £100 million asking price.

According to the Daily Mirror's Simon Mullock, United manager Jose Mourinho values the Welshman at £50-£60 million―roughly the same as goalkeeper David De Gea―and he's willing to walk away from any deal if Real don't agree to such a valuation.

Speculation has once again ramped up following Bale's latest injury problems, even though the player's agent recently told Fichajes.com (h/t Goal's Dom Farrell) he has no interest whatsoever in leaving the Spanish capital:

"He wants to play the rest of his life at Real Madrid. He loves Madrid, the city, life and he loves the club. Of course it hurts him when the people don't support him and they do with other players who aren't so good. It's crazy, this happens only in Spain and I don't understand it, fans should understand this and know how good he is."

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Mullock's report included bold claims Real are looking to raise funds to chase Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne and Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar, even though neither player appears likely to leave their respective clubs anytime soon.

Bale could be sacrificed due to persistent injury concerns that have turned public opinion against him. Both the Spanish press and a large section of the fans want him gone, leading to a constant barrage of rumours and speculation.

As shared by Sky Bet, the former Tottenham Hotspur man can't stay on the pitch for extended stretches:

The 28-year-old finally returned to action in the Copa del Rey match against Fuenlabrada late in November and promptly provided two assists in the 2-2 draw, reminding everyone how important he can be.

Per Andrew Gaffney of Yahoo Sport UK, he has made quite the impression in limited time:

"

5 - Gareth Bale now leads the assists charts for Real Madrid this season despite playing around 700 minutes less than his teammates.

— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) November 28, 2017"

But just days later, Marca (h/t Football Espana) reported he suffered yet another injury during his return, which saw him miss out on the trip to the Basque Country to face Athletic Bilbao.

While Bale could benefit from a move back to the Premier League, the speedster appears determined to make his mark in Madrid. His frequent injury problems should also be a cause for concern for any buying club―unless United think Real and their doctors are at fault, and the Red Devils could avoid more setbacks.

When healthy, any fee below £60 million would be a bargain for Bale, but clubs like United will want to see him put together a good run of form and health before they take any chance signing him.

Add to that the comments from Bale's agent, and it's hard to see any deal going down in January.