Gareth Bale, who broke the world transfer fee record when he moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid, has been linked incessantly with a transfer to Manchester United these past few years. It’s all been just rumors and gossip, nothing has ever come close to materializing, but the Bale to United narratives nevertheless persist.
In the same news conference that saw Mourinho shooting down the idea of his goalkeeper David de Gea leaving to join Real, Mourinho also addressed the Gareth Bale situation.
Bale was never a potential target for Mourinho’s United, the manager said: “The same [as Ronaldo],” You have contacts and feelings, you understand things, and it was clear that Bale likes Madrid, the challenge and situation.”
“He was never on my list. I never felt a desire from him to leave,” Mourinho continued in the news conference previewing the international friendly today between the two sides in northern California.
And right there, in the same sentence, Mourinho said that the Cristiano Ronaldo stories are all a big nothing burger too. So where do United go next in this summer transfer window?
Pursuit of Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic, Tottenham Hotspur’s Eric Dier and Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic hasn’t really led anywhere, so it remains to be seen who Old Trafford’s third summer 2017 signing will be.
Paris Saint-Germain defender Serge Aurier is the latest player who’s name seems to consistently come up.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV.
Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Sound Cloud, LinkedIn and YouTube.