The coronavirus pandemic appears to be hitting businesses hard, with football clubs not immune to the financial fall out from the same.
To that end, a potential swap deal involving Manchester United and Real Madrid players has been shelved indefinitely.
According to The Sun, Los Blancos were willing to offer Gareth Bale as part of a package to secure United flop, and Zinedine Zidane’s countryman, Paul Pogba, in the upcoming summer transfer window.
However, in a separate report by The Sun, Bale has now been assured that he will see out the remainder of his contract – until 2022 – at the Santiago Bernabeu, as Real Madrid are not going to buy any ‘Galactico’ signings for the foreseeable future.
Although there was a suggestion in the earlier report from The Sun that the Red Devils may struggle to match the £600,000 per week that Bale earns with Los Blancos in any event, there appeared to be a determination on Zidane’s part to secure the World Cup winner.
Indeed, as far back as December 2019, MARCA were reporting that Zidane was insisting on the Frenchman’s capture.
The likelihood of any such swap deal occurring now appears completely dead in the water, raising the interesting possibility that Pogba will need to fight to earn his place back at Old Trafford.