Man Utd Prepare Mega Bid For Attacker But Chelsea Also Showing Keen Interest

With the winter transfer window now open for business, managers are working hard trying to strengthen their squads ahead of the second half of the season. Today, Chelsea and Man Utd are linked with Gareth Bale….

Chelsea have joined the race for Gareth Bale as Manchester United prepared to launch a mega-bid for the Real Madrid attacker following Rafa Benitez’s exit, according to the Mirror.

New Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane confirmed that Bale was left ‘annoyed’ by Benitez’s sacking earlier this week but the French super-star insists he’ll do all he can to make the attacker feel appreciated under his regime.

“I understand that he [Bale] was annoyed with the departure of Benitez because he was an important coach for him.” Zidane is quoted as saying by the Mirror

“But he is going to have the same treatment from me as with Rafa. He is important for the squad and fundamental for the team.

“What he has been doing recently is fantastic.

“I am going to give him all my affection and support so that he plays well.”

However, it remains to be seen whether Zidane will choose to play Bale out on the wing or in his preferred position through the middle – as Benitez had done this season.

The uncertainty at the Bernabeu has led to speculation that Bale has once again become a key transfer target for some of the Premier League’s top clubs with the Mirror reporting yesterday that Manchester United are lining up a huge bid worth in excess of £75m for the Welsh super-star this summer.

United have been long-term admirers of Bale and missed out when he joined Madrid from Tottenham back in 2013, and he’d certainly be the marquee signing that the club appear desperate to pull off.

However, the Mirror is now reporting today that Chelsea have joined the race for Bale and could have an ace up their sleeve which could see them trump United to his signature this summer.

The paper suggests that with Madrid expected to launch a big-money bid for Eden Hazard at the end of the season, the Blues are ready to use their interest in the Belgian international as leverage in any negotiations over Bale.

Hazard has failed to live-up to his sensational form of last season which saw him named as the English Footballer of the Year as he’s failed to even register a single goal during the campaign so far, so it’s conceivable that Chelsea could use him as bait to land Bale this summer.

READ MORE –> Chelsea transfer news | Man Utd transfer news

The news will be a concern to United as they would love to lure the former Spurs attacker back to England with Louis van Gaal in desperate need of some creativity in the final third.

However, my personal opinion is that both Chelsea and United will end up disappointed in their chase for Bale as I just don’t see the Welshman leaving Spain any time soon. He may well have a second stint here in England at some point in the future, but I don’t see it happening this summer.