Gareth Bale rejects move to Manchester United twice

The summer of 2013 remains one of the most pivotal turning points in modern football, particularly for Manchester United, who were entering a new era following the retirement of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

After dominating English football for more than two decades under Ferguson, the club transitioned into a new chapter with David Moyes taking charge at Old Trafford.

It was also a period when United were still seen as one of the most powerful forces in European football, having just won the Premier League title.

Behind the scenes, however, the club were battling to secure the signature of one of the most exciting attacking players in world football at the time.

That player was Gareth Bale.

The Welsh star had exploded onto the global stage during his time at Tottenham Hotspur, attracting interest from several elite clubs across Europe.

United were among the teams pushing hardest to land him, but Bale ultimately completed a move to Real Madrid instead.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, the former winger explained that the decision was not purely financial.

“United actually bid more than Madrid. I spoke with David Moyes. Not Ed Woodward (United’s executive vice-chairman), maybe my agent did.

“My heart was set on Madrid,” Bale confessed.

The forward also revealed that an agreement with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy played a key role in how the situation unfolded.

“I had something in place with (Tottenham executive chairman) Daniel Levy, maybe more of a gentleman’s agreement, because he didn’t want to sell me to a rival,” the former winger explained.

“So if a team did come in from Spain, Italy or wherever, I could potentially go because if we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, which we didn’t, I was then able to go there.

“We had that gentleman’s agreement, even though he made it very tough.”

Gareth Bale also revealed that United’s interest in him dated back even further than his Tottenham breakthrough.

According to the Welshman, Ferguson had personally tried to convince his family during his early days in English football.

He explained that the United legend even spoke to his mother while he was still a youngster at Southampton, but Bale ultimately opted to join Tottenham instead as he believed it would be better for his development.

In the end, that decision changed the course of his career.

It was reported that Ferguson’s final wish before his retirement was to sign Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, but that did not materialise.

Bale went on to spend eight seasons at Real Madrid, scoring 106 goals in 258 appearances and winning an incredible 16 major trophies, including five UEFA Champions League titles.

While the Welshman enjoyed one of the most successful spells in the club’s history, Manchester United’s trajectory after Ferguson’s retirement looked very different.

Since 2013, the Red Devils have managed to lift only five trophies, including one UEFA Europa League and four domestic cups, while also recording several of their lowest finishes in the Premier League era.

Looking back now, Bale’s decision not only shaped his own legacy but also marked a moment that symbolised the beginning of two very different journeys for two of Europe’s biggest clubs.

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