Manchester United news: Jose Mourinho may cost club Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale may not want to sign for Manchester United
As Manchester United prepare their third serious bid to steal Gareth Bale away from Real Madrid it’s fair to wonder whether or not the Welshman really wants to move to Old Trafford. More specifically, it’s reasonable to ask ourselves whether or not Bale really wants to play for Jose Mourinho.
There’s no question that Mourinho is an excellent manager. His resume speaks for itself. There’s also no doubt that he wants to sign Bale. He’s made that abundantly clear on several occasions to the press. Furthermore, it’s obvious that United are one of the few clubs in Europe who possess the financial power to pry him away from Real Madrid.
None of that means that Bale wants to play for The Special One though. If you consider his style of play, it’s more likely that he’d want to be managed by someone who is the complete opposite of Mourinho.
His best runs of form came under Andre Villas-Boas at Tottenham and Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid. Both managers have their quirks, but neither would be considered a harsh task master. Quite the contrary, both men have a reputation of catering to star players. Villas-Boas built his Spurs squad around Bale’s mercurial offensive talents and Ancelotti coddled the likes of Bale and Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
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In sharp contrast, Bale has struggled under the more rigid demands of Zinedine Zidane. There are certainly key differences in the way he and Mourinho set things up tactically, but both are hard men who require absolute loyalty from their players. That style doesn’t seem to really appeal to Bale on a tactical or emotional level.
Bale’s concern about playing for a control freak like Mourinho may explain why a deal hasn’t been consummated between United and Real Madrid. For whatever reason, Bale and his club seem to be leaving the door for another suitor to swoop in. Reports of a shocking return to Tottenham continue to gain press in the English press.
It’s possible the lack of a deal stems from United’s hesitance to pay Real Madrid’s £85 million asking price. I have to ask though, does that really seem like an issue for United? Ed Woodward and company didn’t blink at paying a world-record fee to re-acquire Paul Pogba. Surely price can’t be the thing standing between them and acquiring Bale.
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Mourinho lovers will read this article and dismiss it as nonsense. Neutral observers should give the theory more careful consideration though. Does Gareth Bale really feel like a Jose Mourinho type player to you?