Real Madrid transfer news: Neymar responds to transfer speculation, Premier League side to offer player + £53m for Gareth Bale, and more - 14th May 2018
With just one La Liga game and the UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool pending, Real Madrid's season is all but over and it hasn't gone quite as well as Florentino Perez and Zinedine Zidane would've liked.
Naturally, Madrid are expected to participate actively in the upcoming summer transfer window, and rumours have already started to circulate thick and fast. With that said, here is a look at some of the top transfer rumours and updates of the day pertaining to Real Madrid:
Manchester United to offer £53m + Anthony Martial for Gareth Bale
According to reports from Don Balon (via The Daily Star), Jose Mourinho is extremely keen on bringing Gareth Bale to Old Trafford next season and could attempt to lure the Welshman out of Madrid by offering a player + cash deal in exchange for Bale.
The report claims that Mourinho could offer up Anthony Martial, whose playing time at the Manchester United has been very limited since the arrival of Alexis Sanchez. A sum of £53 million is also reportedly a part of the deal, although Madrid are said to be expecting a figure of £88 million for Bale and could reject Manchester United's offer.
Gareth Bale has been widely touted to leave the club this season with the general growing consensus that his sale could help fund a move for Liverpool's Mohamed Salah. Now, Don Balon have been known to blow things out of proportion, but there could be some truth to this rumour as it could benefit both sides equally.
Neymar responds to transfer speculation
Yesterday, several reports emerged suggesting that Manchester United had joined Real Madrid in the race for Paris Saint-Germain.
superstar, Neymar. The reports claimed that the Red Devils were lining up a £200+ million bid for the Brazilian sensation.
However, reports from The Manchester Evening News state that Neymar has indeed opened up about the speculation as he reportedly told Fox Sports:
"Every window it is like this, there are a lot of things, I’m not in the moment to talk about anything. Everyone knows what I have come here to do, the goals I have. My goal now is the World Cup. It is not time to talk about transfers. I am a little tired of it now."
Clearly, the Brazilian doesn't seem to be thinking about his future at the club level and is completely focussed on the upcoming World Cup in Russia, thereby denting Madrid's and United's hopes of signing him any time soon.
Once the transfer window opens, expect more hype around this particular rumour.
Real Madrid to make a fresh attempt to sign Thibaut Courtois
Despite stating in March that he would soon sign a new contract with Chelsea expected to be worth £200,000-a-week, Thibaut Courtois still hasn't put pen to paper to a new deal at Stamford Bridge.
As per a report from Mirror, Real Madrid are looking to make the most of the situation by attempting to swoop for the Belgian goalkeeper. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is believed to be dissatisfied with Los Blancos' current goalie Keylor Navas and would like to see him replaced.
With David De Gea unlikely to leave Manchester United, Madrid could single out Courtois in their hunt for a new keeper, who himself could be tempted to move back to Madrid where he spent 3 seasons on loan with Atletico Madrid.