Gareth Bale: Manchester United presented a more substantial proposal, but my preference was for Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale has disclosed that Manchester United presented a more lucrative offer for him than Real Madrid while he was at Tottenham, but he indicated that his preference was always to join the LaLiga club.
The former Wales international made the switch from White Hart Lane to the Bernabéu in 2013 for a transfer fee of £85.3 million ($113.86m).
This transfer was finalized after a lengthy saga that extended throughout the summer of 2013, and Bale mentioned that United were the only other club to submit a bid for him.
“I had a conversation with David Moyes, but my heart was already set on Madrid,” Bale stated on the Stick to Football podcast.
“I had an arrangement with Daniel Levy, more of a gentleman’s agreement, just to ensure … Because he didn’t want to sell me to a rival … ‘We don’t want to strengthen another team.’
“So if a club came in from Spain, Italy, or Germany, I could potentially leave because if we failed to qualify for the Champions League, which we did not, I was then able to move there. So we had that gentleman’s agreement, even though he made it quite challenging.
“I believe I made the right choice [considering the] last 12 years,” he added.
“I didn’t pursue the wages aspect with United. I didn’t get that far. They proposed a higher fee to acquire me, and a player [too], but it didn’t really progress, to be honest.”
Bale went on to secure an impressive five Champions League titles and three LaLigas during his nine-year tenure there, netting 106 goals in 258 appearances.
He returned to Spurs on loan for the 2020-21 season before finalizing his departure from Madrid in 2022. Although his second stint in north London was not successful, he retains a strong bond with the club and its supporters.
He was present as a broadcaster for their Europa League final victory last year and was seen celebrating their first trophy in 17 years.
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Spurs have struggled to build on that success and currently face the threat of relegation from the Premier League. Bale attributes their difficulties to their inability to compete financially with other clubs.
“Perhaps they don’t offer as much … look at the wage bill, it’s lower and I think there’s a reason for that,” he remarked.
“You can attract quality players. And I always say now, if you buy a £50 million player, it’s not what it used to be. You need to be spending £80, £90, or £100 just to secure a good player. So maybe it’s the finances and the wages that prevent you from attracting that higher-caliber player who can perform here and now.
“Additionally, they often seem to acquire young talent, hoping they will develop into something greater, which has been successful in the past, for instance, with me and a few other players.
“But they are now an established club. They have the stadium, the training facilities, and the fan base. It seems they need to be signing more prominent players, possibly offering a bit more.”
