By Mark Weasley
According to reports from The Express, Manchester United could still sign Gareth Bale.
Initially, we had reports from Spanish media that, with Cristiano Ronaldo now at Juventus, the former Tottenham man had been reassured by new manager, Julen Lopetegui about his importance to the club.
The Welshman however, is now worried that the club’s pursuit of Eden Hazard, who shone at the World Cup for third-place Belgium, could see him undertake a peripheral role, which he did last season despite scoring 21 goals.
Real Madrid are pushing hard for the signing of Hazard to replace Ronaldo as the face of the club. According to respected journalist Gab Marcotti, Jose Mourinho is still hopeful of bringing Bale to Old Trafford.
The boss has been a big admirer of the Southampton academy graduate and wants him to be the focal point of his attack. Bale has felt that a section of the Madrid fans still don’t rate him highly, despite what he has done for the club.
New manager, Lopetegui is a fan of Marco Asensio and Isco, which means that Bale could be the odd man out should Hazard arrive at The Santiago Bernabeu. The Daily Mail (h/t Daily Express) report that Bale could be ready to leave Madrid if the club renege on their promises to make him the club talisman.
It is also reported that United are not making a move for Chelsea winger, Willian as Bale is our priority. Prior to moving to Spain, Bale enjoyed a wonderful time in the Premier League, scoring goals for Tottenham and being named the PFA Player of The Year in 2013.
He is an attacking midfielder cum winger that can play on either flank. He is known for his creativity, setpiece prowess and remarkable pace and will offer United more bite in the attack. He scored 21 goals for Madrid last season, including two well-taken goals in the Champions League Final against Liverpool.
He would certainly add star quality to our attack; but we may have to wait and see how the political aspects of his situation at Madrid play out.
