Gareth Bale Reveals Two Reasons He Turned Down World Record Man Utd Transfer

Soccer history would have been so different had the Welsh winger moved to Old Trafford.

Gareth Bale landed with Real Madrid. | NurPhoto/Corbis/Getty Images

Gareth Bale has admitted he was never intending to sign with Manchester United in the summer of 2013, despite holding talks with manager David Moyes.

By then, it was clear that Bale had outgrown Tottenham Hotspur, especially after the club missed out on Champions League qualification by a single point—finishing agonizingly below rivals Arsenal. But it was more than just Real Madrid, who eventually completed a $133 million (£85 million, €100 million) transfer to narrowly surpass what the club paid for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009, interested.

Manchester United, fresh from seeing Sir Alex Ferguson retire and seeking to hand replacement boss Moyes several statement signings to kick off the new era, offered more than Los Blancos did.

That has long been an poorly kept secret, but Bale himself, appearing as a guest on the latest episode of Stick to Football, openly confirmed it.

“I did talk to United, yeah. They actually bid more than Real Madrid,” the Welshman explained.

Asked if he was ever going to join United that summer, Bale replied, “No.”

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A ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’ With Tottenham

Tottenham would only sanction certain transfers. | AMA/Corbis/Getty Images

Podcast host and Old Trafford legend Gary Neville raised the infamous revelation from Jul. 17, 2013 that United’s new chief Ed Woodward departed the club’s preseason tour in Australia to conduct what was described as “urgent transfer business.” United at that time were also heavily pursuing Barcelona’s Cesc Fàbregas, but the Spaniard did not arrive, nor did Bale.

“I spoke with David Moyes. I didn’t speak [with Ed Woodward], maybe my agent did. But my heart was set on Madrid anyway,” Bale revealed.

Not only did he want to join a different club, an understanding with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy wouldn’t have allowed him to move within the Premier League.

“I had something in place with Daniel Levy, more of a gentleman’s agreement, because he didn’t want to sell me to a rival—you don’t want to strengthen another team,” Bale continued.

“So if a team did come in [for me] from Spain, Italy, Germany, wherever, I could potentially go. If we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, which we didn’t, I was then able to go.”

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Bale Flourished As Man Utd Floundered

David Moyes inherited a rebuild project. | John Peters/Manchester United/Getty Images

United eventually signed Marouane Fellaini from Everton at the end of the transfer window, paying more ($42.9 million, £27.5 million) than was necessary after allowing a lower release clause to expire in the hope it might make negotiations easier—a poorly-made assumption.

But the Belgian midfielder, who for many years unfairly bore the brunt of fan frustrations, was the only new arrival into an ageing team that needed considerably more rejuvenation. The result was a seventh-place Premier League finish, at the time the club’s worst of the Premier League era.

Bale, meanwhile, went on to win it all with Real Madrid over the course of eight seasons. In his first year, he scored the winning goal in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona and the decisive extra-time goal in the Champions League final against Atlético Madrid.

His patchy injury record irked fans and Bale became embroiled in a long-running battle with the Spanish media for refusing to engage on their terms. But his record on the pitch was exceptional, with 176 goals and assists in 258 matches and five Champions Leagues among his 16 trophies.

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