Manchester United have been dealt a major blow by Zinedine Zidane’s shock resignation from Real Madrid, as their pursuit for Gareth Bale has now been concluded. The Red Devils were keen to bring the 28-year-old to Old Trafford this summer, but a new manager to come at the Santiago Bernabéu means Bale will bide his time and wait before making a decision.
It’s bad news for United, as in the aftermath of May’s Champions League final, Bale appeared keen to leave Real in pursuit of more playing time, saying as much in a post-match interview. He’d been left out of six of their last seven knockout outings in the competition, coming off the bench four times and being an unused substitute on two occasions.
But now Zidane is gone, Bale will have a fresh slate with his successor. The 28-year-old joined Real from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 and has racked up an impressive 189 appearances in five years. He’ll go down as one of the best British players to have played in La Liga but could yet end his career in Spain if he gets assurances this summer.
Should the next Real manager offer Bale a guarantee that he’ll play an important part in the side next season, United could wave goodbye to their chances of signing him. Financially, it will be a hard deal to pull off, as Los Blancos won’t want less than the £85m they paid, while Bale will want his £20m-a-year salary matched or maybe improved upon.
Stats from Transfermarkt.
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