Gareth Bale has revealed the story behind his world record move to Real Madrid in 2013 and the reason why he rejected Manchester United
Gareth Bale has explained why he didn’t join Manchester United(Image: Stick to Football)
Gareth Bale has revealed that Manchester United tabled a larger offer to Tottenham for his signature in 2013 before his then-record-breaking transfer to Real Madrid, where the former forward joined for £85million.
The former Wales international was among the most sought-after strikers globally at the close of the 2012/13 campaign following a 26-goal haul in 44 appearances for Spurs.
Bale attracted interest from United, then under fresh leadership with David Moyes, and Madrid, ultimately penning a six-year deal at the Santiago Bernabeu that September.
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Almost 13 years after his blockbuster switch to Spain, Bale has disclosed how United demonstrated genuine intent to secure him and explained why a move to Old Trafford never materialised.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, the 36-year-old said: “United and Madrid were the two teams [who were interested]. He added: “I did talk to United, yeah. They actually bid more than Madrid.”
When questioned whether he was ever going to join United, he responded: “No.” He continued: “I spoke with David Moyes. Not [Ed Woodward], maybe my agent did. My heart was set on Madrid.
Gareth Bale won five Champions League’s with Real Madrid(Image: AP)
“I had something in place with Daniel Levy, maybe more of a gentleman’s agreement, because he didn’t want to sell me to a rival. So if a team did come in from Spain, Italy or wherever, I could potentially go because if we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, which we didn’t, I was then able to go there.
“We had that gentleman’s agreement, even though he made it very tough.”
Gary Neville then pressed for further information on why Bale turned down a switch to United at that point, questioning whether the club had put forward a superior wage package. Reports at the time suggested he had secured a £300,000-per-week deal in Spain.
Nevertheless, Bale admitted he never reached the point of negotiating his terms with United. “I didn’t go down the wages route,” he said. “They offered more money to buy me, but it didn’t really get any legs.
Moyes, who left the club after eight months, has subsequently disclosed that United were pursuing Bale alongside Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas that summer. Ultimately, Marouane Fellaini arrived from Everton for £27.5m.
“It’s been well documented that we wanted Cesc Fabregas, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo,” Moyes said in 2014. “There was talk of Ronaldo when I first arrived. We were close to getting a couple of major names.”
