Man United made three attempts to recruit Gareth Bale, but for different reasons, Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, and Jose Mourinho were unable to secure the former Real Madrid sensation.
One saying goes, “Lightning strikes twice.” Manchester United might have benefited from it.
Given his accomplishments at Old Trafford and elsewhere, Ryan Giggs hardly needs an introduction. One of the most accomplished football players in British history, the gifted Welshman amassed a staggering 963 games in all competitions during his illustrious career. He won everything, time and time again.
This is a total that should never be surpassed. Nevertheless, despite three separate attempts to sign the daring winger, United were never quite able to lure apparent heir Gareth Bale to Old Trafford. Despite this, there was one fellow countryman who might have been able to duplicate Giggs in the iconic No. 11 shirt.
In addition to being around longer, Bale had a resume similar to Giggs’ before he retired a year ago. At Real Madrid, he amassed three La Liga crowns and five Champions League medals, forming one of the most formidable and prolific offensive trios in sports history along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
But in the capital of Spain, the former Southampton and Tottenham player never received the praise he deserved. Depending on when he came, joining United would have ensured him a tonne of trophies and the adoration that went along with it.
2019 saw David Moyes say, “I wanted him to be my first signing at Manchester United,” in an interview with eirSport. “We talked to him and became close to him, but we were unable to change his mind about joining Real Madrid. I thought he was a player like Manchester United, so that was a huge letdown.”
He was not alone in this. While they were in the United dugout, Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho both made attempts to sign Bale, but Moyes would have found the signing especially striking.
Sir Alex showed interest in Bale before the Welshman became a genuine international force, which is why Bale chose to join with Tottenham instead. Although there was less danger involved in the abandoned 2007 chase, there was no assurance that Bale would continue to develop as he did.
A decade later, after Bale had become weary at Real and had nothing left to prove, Mourinho toyed with the idea of making a move for the then-waning player. If events had transpired differently, the Welshman could have chosen to spend his prime years wearing the red uniform of United rather than the white uniform of Real Madrid.
For better or worse, United has never quite moved on from the summer of 2013. While Bale, who had his pick of the best teams in Europe, rejected the Old Trafford giants to pack up his bags and head for the Spanish sun, Moyes was handed the onerous task of replacing retiring fellow Scot Sir Alex.
For United, better times have not yet returned. So many things could have been different.
According to Moyes, “He carries himself well,” from the same interview. “I believe he is an excellent player.
