Gareth Bale has once again been linked with a move away from Real Madrid, this time to long-term suitors Manchester United. It seems that the rumours surrounding a Bernabeu exit for the Welshman will not go away. Earlier in the week, he was touted for a sensational return to Tottenham Hotspur and now the Red Devils have reportedly rekindled their interest.
Persistence quite often pays off and it could be third time lucky for Man Utd, who have shown an interest in bringing Gareth Bale back to the Premier League on two previous occasions. It is unknown whether any formal talks have taken place at this stage, or even if the player would be open to the move.
Injury Record Does Not Concern Man Utd
Gareth Bale’s Real Madrid career has had it’s highs and lows. He has helped the club to win the Champions League three times and La Liga once. However, his time in the capital has been blighted by injury. He’s currently sidelined with an ongoing calf complaint and has had thirteen separate injuries in his four year spell with Los Blancos.
His ongoing fitness concerns are rumoured to be cause for concern among the Real Madrid hierarchy. After all, they pulled out all of the stops and smashed the transfer record to bring him to the club for £85 million in 2013. Since then, they have watched on as his number of first team appearances have dropped season by season from 48 in his first year, to 31 in 2015/16 and just 27 last term.
With patience in Bale perhaps running out, there is a theory that Real Madrid may be keen to offload the player sooner rather than later. The longer the injury problems continue, the lower his market value will become. Manchester United seem to be unfazed by Bale’s injury proneness and are one of only a handful of clubs that could realistically stump up the cash.
