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What's the story?
Manchester United would prefer to sign Gareth Bale over Ivan Perisic, according to the Daily Star. The Red Devils, as manager Jose Mourinho seem to confirm in the post match press conference of the friendly game against Valerenga, are close to signing midfielder Nemanja Matic from Chelsea.
With the midfielder in the bag, the club will eye a wide forward with both Gareth Bale and Ivan Perisic having been linked with a move earlier in the transfer window.
In case you didn't know...
Jose Mourinho confirmed earlier in the transfer window that the Manchester club is looking to make a total four signings, with Romelu Lukaku and Victor Lindelof already joining the Reds before the start of the pre-season tour to America.
Signing a winger is undoubtedly a priority for the Portuguese manager given that Jesse Lingard seems to be the only out and out winger in the squad.
Anthony Martial who has played there in the past evidently plays better as a forward as opposed to a winger.
The heart of the matter
Earlier in the window, Ivan Perisic's move to Manchester United seemed an inevitability, but given his reputation, it is possible that Ed Woodward has been distracted by the possible signing of a 'household name'.
It is worth noting that Gareth Bale's agent Jonathan Barnett, branded the story of his move to Manchester United to be 'ridiculous' and 'stupid' while speaking to the BBC. Make of that what you will.
What's Next?
As Jose Mourinho seemed to admit in one of his press conferences in America, the pursuit of Gareth Bale might be futile for the English club given the fact that the former Tottenham player has shown no inclination towards leaving Real Madrid.
Ivan Perisic, on paper, seems to be the more achievable target. But, the transfer window can be unpredictable, and if the 20-time English champions are indeed pursuing the Los Blancos superstar, they face an uphill task negotiating with Real Madrid given the duo's history with the whole Alvaro Morata saga.
Author's Note
The interest in Bale seems to be surprising given both the player and his agent have previously confirmed that the winger is happy to stay at the Bernabeu. For Manchester United, the pursuit of the Welshman could prove to be a waste of valuable time.
With the Premier League season due to begin in two weeks, the sooner Mourinho has what he needs, the better for their ambitions.
