Gareth Bale has played pretty well for Real Madrid this season, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that a split, which probably should have happened this summer, will happen in the near future. Could Real use Bale to land their top target, Paul Pogba?
Real Madrid have been linked to a number of talented center midfielders, and there have been player-swap rumors abound. There are a few veteran players Real would be better off sending elsewhere, either because they don’t fit Los Blancos’ future plans or they need a change of scenery. Isco, for example, has been linked with moves for Christian Eriksen and Fabian Ruiz.
But there is another big-name player on Real who could be even more attractive to big clubs. Gareth Bale is still a world-class winger when at his best, and he has shown his talent on a number of occasions this season, including with his point-saving brace early in the season against Villarreal.
El Desmarque’s Hugo de Castro reports that Real Madrid are considering swapping Bale and 100 million euros to Manchester United for Paul Pogba, who has also been linked with a move away from Old Trafford.
Pogba clearly seems to be Zinedine Zidane’s top target next summer, as Florentino Perez was unable to get a stingy United to part ways with the center midfielder. There’s no doubt that Pogba is United’s best player and someone they will be doing whatever they can to keep, but if he wants to leave, then perhaps bringing in a superstar player like Bale would interest them.
United are one of the few clubs that could afford Bale’s wages, and they could use the 100 million euros to finance a replacement for Pogba; there will be several young midfielders available next summer. But United have already been bitten by a veteran, big-name winger on bloated wages in Alexis Sanchez, who has been loaned to Inter Milan. Would they want to roll the dice on Bale?
The good news is that Bale is playing well, so if he is sold next summer, teams won’t be as scared of showing interest as they were this past transfer window. There have been reports linking Bale to Chelsea in a N’Golo Kante swap, as Kante is another center midfielder Zidane dreams of having. But that deal honestly has no chance of happening, whereas a Bale/Pogba United swap is conceivable if the cash is sufficient. United rightfully have a high valuation of Pogba, but 100 million euros and a proven scoring winger could be enough to swing the pendulum.
Surely, United would prefer to have cash in hand, but since their cash demands are so high and Real also have eyes on Kylian Mbappe, this may be their best possible deal if Pogba is adamant on leaving the club. Based on the way the Red Devils have played this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if Pogba demands an exit to Zidane and the Bernabeu.