Winger even spoke to United’s coach at the time but his “heart was set on Madrid”
Gareth Bale has revealed that Manchester United made a bigger offer to sign him in 2013 but he never seriously considered the move because he was determined to join Real Madrid.
The former Wales forward eventually left Tottenham Hotspur for Madrid in the summer of 2013 for a then-world-record fee of £85.3m, bringing an end to a lengthy transfer saga that dominated the window.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Bale said United were the only other club to make a concrete attempt to sign him, and he even held discussions with their then manager David Moyes.
“I spoke with David Moyes, but my heart was set on Madrid anyway,” Bale said.
The winger explained that he had previously reached a gentleman’s agreement with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, which helped shape how the transfer unfolded.
Tottenham were reluctant to sell to a Premier League rival but were prepared to allow Bale to leave for a club abroad if the right offer arrived.
“We had something in place with Daniel Levy,” Bale said. “Because he didn’t want to sell me to a rival. If a team came in from Spain, Italy, Germany, wherever it may be that, I could potentially go because if we didn’t qualify for Champions League, which we didn’t, I was then able to go there.”
United’s proposal included more money than Madrid’s offer and even involved a player as part of the deal, Bale revealed, but negotiations never progressed because his mind was already made up.
“I didn’t go down the wages route with United,” he said. “They offered more money to buy me, and a player too, but it didn’t really get any legs to be honest.”
Bale would go on to enjoy a hugely successful nine-year spell in the Spanish capital, winning five Champions League titles and three La Liga crowns while scoring 106 goals in 258 appearances.
He returned to Tottenham on loan during the 2020-21 season before leaving Madrid permanently in 2022 and later retiring from professional football.
Bale remains a Tottenham fan and he said their current struggles are partly down to financial limitations compared with their Premier League rivals. Tottenham are 16th in the Premier League and only one point above the relegation zone, although they have a game in hand.
“Maybe they don’t pay as much,” Bale said. “Look at the wage bill, it’s lower and there’s a reason for that. You can attract good players. And I always say now, you buy a £50m player, it’s not what it used to be. You have to be spending £80m, £90m or £100m now just to get a top player.”
