Man Utd Plotting Audacious €65m Swap Deal To Land Long-Term Target

With the January transfer in full swing, managers are strengthening their squads ahead of the second half of the season, so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Man Utd are lining-up a stunning swap deal for Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale….

Manchester United are plotting a sensational swap deal that will see them offer Real Madrid €65m PLUS David De Gea in return for long-term target Gareth Bale next summer, according to reports.

De Gea has been United’s most consistent performer for well over 12 months but there are increasing noises coming from Spain that Real Madrid will make a big-money move for the 24-year-old at the end of the season.

The former Atletico Madrid stopper has shown no signs of discontent at Old Trafford but he’s expected to wait until the end of the season to see if United qualify for the Champions League before deciding on his future.

With the keepers contract having just 18 months left to run and no sign of an extension being signed any time soon, it’s been suggested that De Gea is tempted by a return to his homeland as his girlfriend, Edurne Garcia, spends much of her time back in Madrid working on his music career.

The Mirror claim that United privately acknowledge that they won’t be able to prevent their No.1 from joining Madrid forever, so they are plotting a stunning swap deal that will see the Red Devils offer De Gea plus €65m (£50m) in exchange for long-term target Gareth Bale.

The newspaper suggests that United value De Gea at around €65m (£50m) – which would be a world record fee for a goalkeeper – so the total deal for Bale would be €130m (£100m) if it was to go through.

It remains to be seen whether Madrid would be willing to part ways with Bale in order to land De Gea, but the Welshman has endured a mixed time at the Bernabeu since joining from Tottenham in 2013 and has come under fire from supporters recently for being too greedy.

Bale publicly insists he’s happy in Spain but you wouldn’t be surprised to see him come back to the Premier League one day, it’s just a question of whether this summer will come too soon as he’s unlikely to quit Madrid after just two seasons.

It would certainly be a sensational deal if it was to come off, although I’m sure there would be a mixed reaction from the Old Trafford faithful. No doubt Bale would be welcomed with open arms, but perhaps not at the expense of De Gea – whose developed into one of the world’s best keepers in recent years.

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Thankfully, Louis van Gaal has a more than able back-up in the form of Victor Valdes after his free transfer move earlier this month, so at least United will have an experienced head to call upon if De Gea does end up leaving for Spain this summer.