Manchester United: One player Red Devils must avoid signing in the summer

After a disappointing season which saw Manchester United missing out on a Champions League qualification spot next season, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer will be looking forward to a busy summer transfer window. The Norwegian will be looking for the right reinforcements to help him challenge the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool for the Premier League.

Among the requirements, Solskjaer’s list would contain a right winger, a position that has been missing from the team for quite a number of seasons. And the first player that might come up on the radar is Real Madrid winger, Gareth Bale. The Welshman was signed by the Madrid outfit in the summer of 2013 in a record-breaking move from Tottenham. Bale quickly rose to prominence with dominating performances for Los Blancos in the Champions League but over the years his performance has faded.

Gareth Bale might still be one of the hottest prospects in the transfer window if Real Madrid is looking for a squad overhaul in the summer and are ready to release him for a good sum of money. At 30, Bale will add a lot of experience and flair in Solskjaer’s aggressive playing style but there are certainly other factors that need to be considered.

Rayo Vallecano de Madrid v Real Madrid CF - La Liga

Firstly, Gareth Bale is the perfect commercial signing Ed Woodward would love to have. ‘World-class, looking for a move in the final seasons of his career', these are the exact words that describe players like Alexis Sanchez as well as Gareth Bale. Sanchez moved to United for huge wages in expectation that he would deliver world-class performances for the team but over a year has passed and he is still to produce a decent run of form. With the huge amount of money that has to be invested behind the Welshman, it is highly doubtful that he will ever be reciprocating good performances for the team.

Secondly, Gareth Bale is one of those delicate players in Europe who boast of a poor injury record. Bale has suffered various kinds of injuries in his career. After his transfer to Real, Bale has suffered nearly 20 injuries over six years and missed 70 games due to his injury. At 30, it is obvious that his injury woes won’t improve rather they are going to increase. Given his status, if he is going to disrupt the wage structure, United should be careful about his injury record before signing him.

Thirdly, Gareth Bale was one of the costliest transfers during his switch to Real Madrid. Even though, he is through his prime days and his consistency or form has dipped, the Welsh winger would not come cheap. According to Bale’s current market valuation, United are willing to offer £80 million but Real will not be agreeing to anything less than £120 million.

The amount of money spent behind him, his injury record and current playing form should be the primary reasons that United should not pursue him in the coming summer transfer window.