Real set Bale asking price
Hiring Julen Lopetegui isn’t the only big decision taken lately by Real Madrid.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the Spanish giants have let it be known that they will “listen to offers in excess of €150m [£132.2m] for star winger Gareth Bale”.
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The arrival of Lopetegui as head coach will mark a new era for Real - one that apparently won’t include the Welsh winger. The newspaper quotes Spanish media sources as saying that Bale will be allowed to leave if a club meets their asking price.
Jose Mourinho has made no secret of his wish to bring the forward to Manchester, and the United manager is reported to have “promised to help Bale win the Ballon d’Or if he moves to Old Trafford”.
No move for Hazard
According to the Daily Star, Real are no longer looking to Eden Hazard as Bale’s successor. The newspaper says Lopetegui wants to hand Marco Asensio “more of a role at the Bernabeu next season”, and therefore won’t look to lure Hazard from Stamford Bridge. Real is believed to have intended to bid for Hazard prior to Zinedine Zidane’s shock exit.
The money made from Bale’s sale will now be spent “signing the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe over Hazard”, the Star says.
Real keen on Alisson
Meanwhile, Liverpool could miss out on Alisson following Lopetegui’s appointment, says the Daily Star. The Reds have been “heavily linked” with the Roma keeper ever since Loris Karius gifted the Champions League to Real Madrid in last month’s final.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is a big admirer of 25-year-old Alisson, but reports from Spain suggest that Real are “keen” to sign the Brazilian stopper, and that the attraction is mutual.