Gareth Bale wants to leave Real Madrid, reports the Sunday Times. The paper says Bale is “angling” for a return to the Premier League. And only Manchester United, Manchester City or Chelsea could afford him. Why? Well, we learn:
The Welshman’s representatives have promised to bring the Madrid president, Florentino Perez, a profit on the £85million his club paid Tottenham for Bale two summers ago should he sanction a deal.
How can they promise a fee that has yet to be offered? This is surely just the agent telling everyone in a stage whisper that if the price is right, Bale is their man.
But what is Bale worth now he’s no longer as confident as he was at Spurs? We learn that he has struggled to bond with his Real teammates (an odd claim, given his affable and wholly professional nature); has failed to master the language (not a bad thing given the Spanish verbal assault the ‘cabron’ has been subjected to by Madrid’s monocular Press and fans); and is unhappy with life in Madrid.
If true, those are hardly qualities that strengthen Madrid’s hand in transfer dealings.
Buying Bale for in excess of his world-record fee would represent a huge punt. And it was only last week the Sunday Times was telling readers that Bale is “identified by Perez as a figurehead when Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer so dominant”.
But that was then. Now Duncan Castles writes:
For Bale it is a shift of position that is sure to encourage the wealthiest Premier League suitors, led by Manchester United.
Chelsea and Manchester City are aware of Bale’s potential availability, but are unlikely to match a bid from United, whose executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward made Bale a priority target when he took control of the club’s transfer activity in 2013.
So. Bale to Manchester United it is, then. They did offer Spurs a higher price than Madrid in 2013 but Bale chose the Spaniards.
You could question why United so keen to invest a fortune in a player who turned them down? But, then, when you imagine Bale clad in your club’s colours, what United, Chelsea or City fan can fail to be anything but excited..?