According to reports, Manchester United were interested in Gareth Bale but Mourinho has asked the club not to splash £200m on the Welsh superstar. Barring United, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich are also reportedly interested in signing the Madrid winger.
On the night when Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius turned villain, Bale scored one of the greatest Champions League goal of all time with an astonishing overhead kick before adding the killer goal late on.
After guiding Real Madrid to a record 13th Champions League title in Kiev, Bale fuelled the door open for a Premier League return after revealing he’ll make a decision on his future this summer.
Since joining Madrid, Bale has not been able to consistently deliver the goods. Recurrent injuries have hampered the Welshman’s progress at Bernabeu, limiting his game time.
This season was no different as Bale endured an injury-hit campaign and while he recovered, the 28-year-old was overlooked by manager Zinedine Zidane, who preferred Isco and Marco Asensio as a part of his 4-4-2 diamond formation.
However, when fully fit, Bale is a devastating player to have in the squad as he can use his pace, ability to cut-in from the wider areas and shoot with power. He is also capable of producing magic moments, with his spectacular goal in the Champions League final being a testament to his skill, confidence, agility and sheer athleticism.
All such qualities in Bale make him a complete player but he has lost his way a bit in Madrid and could leave the club to resurrect his stuttering career.
Mourinho has asked Woodward not to waste the budget on Gareth Bale but should Manchester United go after the nippy winger nevertheless? United have been chasing the Welshman’s signature for years. In fact, they wanted to sign Bale from Tottenham Hotspur but the north London club rejected their offers and sold him to Madrid in 2013.
It is no more a secret that Jose Mourinho is a big fan of Bale, having previously stated he would “fight” to sign the player if Madrid decided to sell. However, Mourinho is now right in deciding not to splash £200m on Bale now that the player might be available in summer.
Bale has been continuously suffering a series of injuries at Madrid and there has been no cure for it so far. United also have a squad that is very prone to injuries. So adding another injury-prone player, although gifted, makes no sense for the Red Devils.
Many fans would argue that Bale is the ideal player to solve United’s right-wing woes, considering none of Mourinho’s players has been able to put in consistent shifts to cement the position.
In Bale, Mourinho would get a player who would perfectly fit his profile of a right-winger but signing the Welshman would hamper the development of younger talents.
Signing Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in January has already thrown Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial’s futures in obscurity. Hence, signing another attacking player in Bale would surely spell the end of Rashford and Martial’s hopes to become regular fixtures at the club.
United have a well-balanced attack which cries out for Mourinho to make the maximum use of it. The Portuguese must consider strengthening the defence as well as the midfield ahead of next season. With that being said, Mourinho is right in deciding to dodge this £200m bullet.
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