Sridhar Bhamidi
How soon do things change in the transfer market! It was only yesterday that we were talking about how Jose Mourinho was joking with Gareth Bale in the pre-season friendly banter. And now, ESPN reports that the Welsh winger could be made available for a transfer.
Large credit for this change of status is due to Real’s pursuit for Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe. The 18-year-old French striker has reportedly reached an agreement in principle with the European Champions over a £161million deal. Manchester City are looking to hijack this bid but Real remain in pole position to land the teenager.
This could mean pressure on Bale and his position at Madrid. The Spanish Champions have already offloaded Alvaro Morata to Chelsea and James Rodriguez (on loan) to Bayern Munich. That will free up space and funds but Zinedine Zidane still must accommodate Mbappe into a forward line that already has Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Isco and Marco Asensio, apart from Bale.
Of these, the most vulnerable are supposed to be Benzema and Bale. Benzema, because he is an ever-present transfer news maker; Bale, because he is not a regular first-team choice for Zidane.
Bale has time and again persisted with the line that he is happy in the Spanish capital and wouldn’t want to move away from the club to which he is contracted until 2022. That could, however, change if he becomes surplus to requirements.
As Mourinho indicated over the weekend, the Red Devils are looking to sign a midfielder and a winger. Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic remains heavily linked with Old Trafford although a deal looks to be going nowhere. Now with the development around Mbappe likely to push Bale towards the exit, Mourinho may just change targets.
Will This Become A Reality?
Real’s chase of Mbappe is sure to come with footnotes as the player being signed at such enormous price will need assurances of first team action. A reduced role for Bale will not suit him and he may be swayed by United’s interest.
As a fan, I believe this is the right time to start dreaming about a potential lineup that could have Bale, Pogba, and Lukaku – a nightmare for defenders in the Premier League for sure.
