Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly urged Gareth Bale to join him at Old Trafford by vowing that the Real Madrid forward would win the Ballon d’Or under his guidance.
The Wales international’s future has been the subject of much speculation at the moment after his explosive impact in the recent Champions League final victory over Liverpool.
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Despite only starting on the bench, Bale came on to score a spectacular over-head kick and later add another from long range to help Real to a 3-1 win over the Reds.
Speaking to BT Sport afterwards, the 28-year-old made it clear he wasn’t happy to have only started as a substitute and threw his future into doubt by suggesting he’d have to talk things over with his agent this summer.
"I need to be playing week-in-week-out…that hasn't happened this season."
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Gareth Bale speaks to @DesKellyBTS about his Real Madrid future… pic.twitter.com/cbcDC6Otvh
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 26, 2018
The latest is that Mourinho has been in touch with Bale and promised him he’d be a Ballon d’Or winner if he were to make the move to United, according to Spanish TV show El Chiringuito, as quoted by Don Balon.
This is quite a bold claim from the Portuguese tactician, especially as Bale has struggled for consistency during his time in Spain, as well as with some recent injury issues.
The former Tottenham man has previously found his best form in the Premier League, however, so could benefit from returning to England and being given more of a starring role for a top side having largely played second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo at the Bernabeu.