Gareth Bale to Manchester United: Louis van Gaal determined to land Real Madrid forward this summer after missing out on Pedro
Bale endured a difficult season in Real last year and Van Gaal believes he can persuade the Welshman to return to the Premier League
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester United may take little time to get over the failed move for Pedro by launching an attempt to sign Gareth Bale this summer, with manager Louis van Gaal determined to land the man he feels can transform his side into Premier League champions.
Van Gaal is believed to have put the mockers on a move for Pedro, with United’s initial offer of around £17m up front and £3.5m in add-ons failing to meet Barcelona’s demands leaving the Catalans open to sell the forward to Chelsea.
The Dutchman has expressed his sign a player that can add creativity and pace to his current side, and it’s believed that when he made the admission during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, he was talking directly about Bale.
According to the Daily Mail, United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is confident that he can land one more major signing before the 1 September transfer deadline, with Bale emerging as their prime target.
Having already added the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Memphis Depay, United look in much better shape than they did last season when they finished fourth in the Premier League, but despite taking six points from six so far this season they have lacked a cutting edge in front of goal.
Woodward is said to hope that the 3-1 Champions League play-off victory over Club Brugge in midweek will help secure a high profile player, with United on the cusp of returning to the group stages of the competition after a year’s absence.
The report goes on to suggest that Van Gaal is confident the Welshman can be persuaded to leave Real after a difficult season at the Santiago Bernabeu. Bale enjoyed a hugely successful debut campaign in Spain following his world record £86m transfer from Tottenham Hotspur, with the culmination of his 2013/14 season coming when he headed in a goal in the Champions League final to put Real on course for the famous La Decima.
However, the jubilations were soon cut short as Real failed to live with Barcelona in La Liga last season, and suffered Champions League elimination at the hands of Juventus in the semi-finals, meaning they were unable to try and become the first team to defend their crown since the inception of the Champions League.
One possibility would be to include goalkeeper David De Gea in negotiations along with a sizeable financial offer, but relations with Real officials are far from good at present given the stand-off over the Spanish international and the failed bid to sign Real defender Sergio Ramos.
United retain an interest in Bayern Munich striker Thomas Muller, although the Bundesliga club have made it adamantly clear that he is not for sale at any price. Reports in Germany suggest a fee of around £60m was rejected for the 2014 World Cup winner earlier this week, and it remains to be seen if United maintain their desire to sign the 25-year-old this summer.
Southampton forward Sadio Mane also remains a transfer target, with the south coast club expected to have their resolve tested by an improved offer of over £20m having rejected United’s initial approach of £18m.
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