Bale bombshell
The Daily Express has dropped the biggest transfer bombshell of the summer yet, with the newspaper reporting that Manchester United “have told Real Madrid they will offer Paul Pogba and cash to sign Gareth Bale”.
If true, it could mean the return of Bale to the Premier League five years after he left Tottenham.
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Spanish media claim that the Red Devils have made their first bid for Bale and that it includes Pogba moving in the other direction. Since arriving at Old Trafford from Juventus for a record £89m in 2016, the Frenchman has failed to fire and Mourinho has reportedly decided that he needs to go.
However, the Express says that “a straight swap deal may not be enough” for Real, given Pogba’s loss of form, so “United are also prepared to offer a large cash sum”.
Meanwhile Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, fuelled the rumours during an informal discussion with Sky Sports at Royal Ascot. Asked about Bale’s future, Barnett replied: “I think we have to have a chat with Real Madrid and see where we’re going. He wants a better year than he had last year. He wants to play more, and that’s paramount to him.
“I think he’s one of the top three or four players on Earth. For somebody like him, he has to play. It’s not about money.”
Meunier to Manchester?
Jose Mourinho’s ears will have pricked up following an interview given by Paris Saint-Germain defender Thomas Meunier to Sport/Football Magazine, reports Italian outlet Calciomercato.
The United boss has been keeping tabs on the Belgian blocker for a while, as have Juventus - and it seems the 26-year-old is weighing up his options while on World Cup duty with his country.
“Being at Paris Saint-Germain is a great opportunity for me,” said Meunier, who arrived in France in 2016 in a €7m (£6.2m) deal from Belgian club Club Brugge. “But if I have a meeting with [new coach Thomas] Tuchel and if he tells me that I’m his second choice, I’ll have to give my opinion.”
That opinion is likely to involve a transfer request, and Mourinho is reportedly monitoring the situation as he continues to overhaul his defence ahead of the new domestic season.
