Out of favour Real Madrid striker Gareth Bale could leave the club for Manchester United, who on their part could let go Paul Pogba for the Bernabeu side in a swap deal.
According to a report on English daily The Sun, the deal could take shape in as early as the New Year transfer window. And if it doesn’t, the Madrid officials are convinced it will before the next season.
The Wales striker was on the verge of going to China’s Jiangsu Suning, in the last transfer window, for a year-long contract worth £1 million a week.
However, the deal was blocked in the dying minutes after Real demanded a transfer fee as the footballer had agreed to join the Chinese outfit for free.
But according to The Sun, United are now keen to land the former Tottenham Hotspur man at Old Trafford during the winter in a bid to rescue their dismal season.
It is also believed that Real are in no mood to let Bale leave without extracting their share of profit and could use him as leverage to bring Pogba into the Zinedine Zidane-managed side.
Bale has not featured for the Los Blancos in over a month now and has not even trained with the players since the international break in October.
Madrid’s contract with their 30-year-old forward runs until January 2022 on around £650,000 a week. If United would be keen to pay such a hefty amount remains to be seen.
But given his prominence, the United officials would know the he could be a marquee signing who will bring huge commercial boost to the club.