Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly ready to change his club’s transfer priorities if a deal can be done for Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale.
The Wales international has long been linked with a host of top sides after struggling to play as often as he’d ideally like at the Bernabeu for much of this season.
Bale was benched again in a big game last night as Real Madrid earned a 3-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League, with Isco putting in a stellar display to take full advantage of being selected ahead of him in attack.
Still, United could do with more quality in the final third after a frustrating season that has seen them well behind rivals Manchester City in the Premier League title race and make an early exit from the Champions League in a shock last-16 defeat to Sevilla.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Bale could be on offer from Real Madrid as part of a swap deal as the Spanish giants look into signing one of David de Gea, Paul Pogba or Anthony Martial from the Red Devils.
The report suggests that while Mourinho is not currently prioritising an attacking player, he would be willing to make an exception if there was a chance of bringing the former Tottenham wide-man back to the Premier League.
It’s easy to see why Mourinho could be tempted by the chance to sign Bale, and it’s referenced by the MEN that he’s a long-time admirer.
There’s also a lot to be said for ensuring rival clubs don’t get their hands on him, with Diario Gol recently claiming the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea were in for him at around £70million.
There is some sense, however, in the manager looking at tightening up in defence next season instead of going all out on adding more attacking players, even if things haven’t quite gelled in that area in recent times.
The personnel is there, and while Bale could certainly play a key role in the first XI, there is more of a pressing need to bring in upgrades on the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones than there is to improve on the likes of Martial, Alexis Sanchez and Marcus Rashford.