Manchester United Transfer News: Gareth Bale Reportedly Fears Real Madrid Axe

Gareth Bale reportedly fears he could be sent packing from Real Madrid if Zinedine Zidane stays on as manager past this summer, although Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is said to risk ruining a potential move to Old Trafford.

The Mirror's John Cross reported Bale's team-mates think he's en route to Old Trafford this summer, and although he doesn't want to leave Madrid, the Wales international fears for his future as long as Zidane is at the helm.

The 28-year-old has four years remaining on his contract at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, but it seems unlikely he will see those years out after racking up only 19 starts across all competitions this season.

It's not as though Bale has lost his scoring touch, either, after he made an instant return to the goals with a hat-trick against China on Thursday to become Wales' all-time top scorer, as BBC Sport Wales shared:

Mourinho is understood to play a large hand in whether Bale ends up at Old Trafford—not on the grounds of whether he wants the player but because of his relationship with Luke Shaw.

The Daily Mail's Chris Wheeler reported Bale and Shaw are both represented by the same agent, Jonathan Barnett, who is said to be unhappy with Mourinho's handling of the latter during his time at United.

Mourinho hasn't been afraid to call out players in public when he deems fit, and Shaw recently incurred the Portuguese's wrath after being taken off at half-time in United's recent FA Cup quarter-final win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier couldn't see the logic behind Mourinho's head-on man management, per The Independent:

It's been almost five years since Bale joined Los Blancos from Tottenham Hotspur, and despite his numerous injury setbacks and reported rifts with the Spanish media, he remains a devastating attacker on his day.

But the biggest players deserve to play in the biggest fixtures, and if Bale can't get that spotlight under Zidane, which Sky Sports' Spanish expert Guillem Balague recently suggested he won't, he could opt to leave:

Bale represents a major money-making opportunity for Real. His sale would permit them to reinvest in the squad, but they run the risk of seeing his value decrease if he becomes part of the furniture.

United may wish UEFA Champions League success upon quarter-finalists Real given the circumstances, boosting Zidane's chances of retaining his job and, according to reports, increasing the odds of Bale's departure.