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What's the story
Real Madrid have been unusually quiet in the transfer market as Florentino Perez sits back and enjoys the burning of Barcelona whilst playing a tune on his lute (picture Nero doing it all those eons back). But all that appears to have been the calm before the storm... and as Madrid prepare a massive bid for Kylian Mbappe, it had been reported that they were willing to offload injury's Gareth Bale as part of the deal.
As per reports stemming from the Daily Star (do keep your pinch of salt handy), Gareth Bale has decided to leave Madrid and accept the ever-rolling-annual offer that Manchester United have made him... and how do they know the Welshman's mind? He... wait for it... sent a WhatsApp message to former Spurs buddy and current best-friend in the Madrid locker room, Luka Modric 'underlining his determination to leave the club'
In case you didn't know
If true, that would mean Chelsea have to ready themselves for another hit in the transfer market after the Blues were reported to have been interested in bringing him back to the Premier League.
With Madrid seemingly desperate to bring Kylian Mbappe into the fold, Gareth Bale may find himself an expendable entity and this is what is supposedly prompting the Welshman to rethink his decision to stay despite the strong interest he's generated over the years.
The heart of the matter
Thing is, though, Bale has had a horrible injury history since joining Madrid - getting injured over 12 times, missing anywhere from 2 to 17 games in the process. As fine a physical specimen is, this shaky history may just be what convinces Real Madrid to cash out while they can - and regain as much of the €101 million they paid Tottenham Hotspur for his services on deadline day in 2013.
Both Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte are fans of the flying Welshman and he'd undoubtedly add to the attacking potency of their respective sides.
Video
The last time Gareth Bale plied his trade in England, he was an unstoppable beast:
Would be a helluva addition to the United squad, wouldn't he?
Author's take
While the reports need to be taken with more than a fair bit of salt, if there is any truth in it, Manchester United fans ought to have a massive smile on their faces tonight... if Gareth Bale rolls up to Old Trafford, it's odds on that the Premier League trophy will follow not soon after.
