Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale’s future to be decided in the coming week, amid strong interest from Premier League giants Manchester United.
Manchester United are intent on signing Real Madrid attacker and Wales international Gareth Bale this summer, as per reports from the Daily Mirror.
The 29-year old cast a doubt over his future at the Santiago Bernabeu, after the UEFA Champions League final in May, when he scored a double to fire Los Blancos to their third consecutive European triumph.
Bale was understood to be frustrated at the lack of game time that was being afforded to him by then manager Zinedine Zidane, while the fact that he continued to remain under the shadows of Cristiano Ronaldo did not help his situation either.
After having been dropped out of the starting line-up for a number of key matches, including the finals, the former Tottenham Hotspur star dropped a strong hint that he might be open to a move away from the Spanish capital this summer.
However, the sudden and unexpected departure of Zidane and the subsequent appointment of Julen Lopetegui as the new manager seems to have changed the scenario somewhat.
Bale was understood to have a meeting with his new boss on Monday, and reportedly, talks have gone well between the two parties, with Lopetegui expressing his desire to work with the Welshman next season.
The departure of Ronaldo, who joined Italian champions Juventus in a €100 million move earlier this month, will also mean Bale would be the central figure at Madrid. And that could also play on the 29-year old’s mind, complicating United’s chances of signing him this summer.
However, the Red Devils are understood to be extremely intent on making the deal happen and are willing to offer as much as £90 million for the player’s services. This is not the first time Manchester United have made an attempt to sign the 70-time capped Wales international.
The 20-time English champions tried very hard to sign him from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2013, when he instead chose to join Real Madrid. They have continued to monitor his progress closely ever since and are believed to have made inquiries about his availability after Jose Mourinho took over the reins at the club in 2016.
The Portuguese manager still wants to add the 29-year to his squad though and has advised the club hierarchy to keep a close eye on his situation.
Bale is understood to be meeting with the Real Madrid chiefs during this week to get a clarity on his status at the club and how those talks go will have a huge impact on his future at the club. The former Tottenham man has gone on to win 4 Champions League trophies during his time with the Merengues, while also getting his hands on a La Liga title and a Spanish Cup.
Bale still has four years left on his current contract with Madrid and it does seem highly unlikely that the European champions would let him go this summer, having already lost Ronaldo. And as a consequence, a move to Manchester United at this point of time does appear quite remote.
