Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Andre Villas-Boas has revealed the extreme lengths Manchester United were willing to go to in order to sign Gareth Bale before he eventually chose to join Real Madrid.
Failed pursuit
Following the retirement of the iconic Sir Alex Ferguson, United set about rebuilding the team and had identified Bale as a top target.
Bale was coming off a stellar season with Tottenham Hotspur in which he plundered 26 goals.
His spell at White Hart Lane brought a glittering haul: PFA Player of the Year in 2011 and 2013, a clean sweep of PFA Player, PFA Young Player and Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year in 2013, and three consecutive PFA Team of the Year selections between 2010 and 2013.
United, under David Moyes, made a strong push for Bale, but he opted to join Real Madrid for a then-world-record transfer fee of €100 million.
He went on to establish himself as one of football’s greats, collecting 19 trophies at the Santiago Bernabéu, including five Champions League titles.
Speaking on the Obionepodcast, Villas-Boas revealed that Manchester United offered €120 million for Bale, but the player made it clear he was only interested in a switch to the Spanish capital.
Villas-Boas sets record straight
The former Premier League manager remarked, “Gareth Bale had the offer from Real Madrid. I remember Man United called in the last minute because Daniel Levy came to my office.”
“They were paying 120, and Gareth did not want to go; he wanted to go to Real Madrid. For me, it was indifferent – we were in Hong Kong during the pre-season. Gareth was protecting himself because he really wanted this transfer to happen. Real Madrid were pushing a lot.”
“I remember at the end of the Asia tour, after the game, he was in the physio room. I went to his physio bed, picked up my pen, and wrote ‘Real Madrid’ and ‘Man United’ – which one. And he chose. He chose wisely.”
Villas-Boas continued, “Without disrespect, but he really wanted that move. I think Real Madrid is the winner of all Champions Leagues – he contributed decisively to winning those titles. It was a difficult decision, but acceptable.”
“David Moyes also wanted him, but Gareth ended up making a good choice. Either of them would have been great choices for sure.”
Featured image by Andrew Redington via Getty Images
