Manchester United are reportedly set to make a move for Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale after the Champions League final.
Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo have reported that Manchester United are waiting to see if Gareth Bale is not in the starting lineup for the final of the Champions League, in which case they will step up their chase to sign the Welshman from Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.
Bale has long been regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, having taken his level up a notch since joining Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. However, his last two campaigns have been severely affected by a spate of injuries that have restricted his role in Los Blancos’ first-team setup.
This season, Bale has managed to make a mere 26 appearances for Real Madrid. But despite being sidelined for long periods, the Wales international has a respectable tally of nine goals and five assists for his side.
In fact, Bale has spent the last month on the sidelines as well, having picked up a calf injury in the El Clasico against Barcelona. He has, since, made a recovery to make himself available for this week’s UEFA Champions League final against Juventus in Cardiff.
Gareth Bale could consider leaving Real Madrid for #MUFC if he does not start the Champions League final, according to Mundo Deportivo pic.twitter.com/KCMa1gvJnW
— Ryan Baldi (@RyanBaldiFW) May 30, 2017
However, reports have suggested that Zinedine Zidane is likely to persist with Isco in place of Bale on Saturday. And there’s one club that is waiting to see if the Welshman starts on the bench against Juventus before launching the offensive for him – Manchester United.
The Premier League heavyweights have been eyeing a deal for Bale for a long time now, but they believe that they can tempt the player to make the switch to Old Trafford in the summer if he does not make the starting eleven on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal currently, with the likes of Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Anthony Martial, Wayne Rooney and Jesse Lingard to choose from. But, only Mkhitaryan and Mata managed to be impressive their consistency.
Meanwhile, Martial blew hot and cold throughout the campaign, while Jesse Lingard is seen as more of a squad player. Club captain, Wayne Rooney is likely to depart from Old Trafford in the summer having been reduced to a bit part role.
Thus, the need for Mourinho to sign a top quality attacker has accentuated over the course of the season, which is why he is now eyeing a deal to sign Bale in the summer. The Wales forward can slot in on the right side of the Manchester United attack, and can be a deadly proposition for opposition defenders with his electric burst of pace and eye for a goal.
It now remains to be seen if the Red Devils are able to tempt Bale to make the switch to Old Trafford in the summer, with it all seemingly depending on his inclusion in the starting lineup of the Champions League final.
