Gareth Bale should hesitate to join Manchester United

The story that Gareth Bale was hugely upset at the sacking of Rafael Benitez is hard to believe. Having seen Benitez’s effect on squads from Liverpool onwards, at Inter and Napoli, it’s much easier to believe that this a manager who can isolate players far easier than he can inspire them. The funk in which Real Madrid played suggested that they had no time for the manager. Cristiano Ronaldo was just one of the players who was supposedly less than enamoured with his new manager, and James Rodriguez apparently was far from enthused with the tactically conservative, dispiritingly analytical Liverpool legend. Rather, the story looks like a well timed leak in order to help Bale out of Madrid and back to Britain.

As recently as November, Bale admitted that he was missing the quotidien chats he could have in Britain, as most ex-pats would. Add to that his two children approaching school age, and perhaps it’s no surprise that he might welcome a return to England. Given how his career in Spain has stalled, it makes further sense that he could, if not cut his losses, quit while he is marginally ahead.

The last two years have shown much that is wrong with Real. The fans have occasionally chosen Bale as their scapegoat on the pitch. Variously, he has been booed, attacked in his car, or voted on Spanish newspaper websites as the player who should be dropped, or sometimes - perhaps worse - be installed at left-back. He hasn’t been the only player targeted, but feeling the admonishment, which is often baseless or exaggerated, of some of the world’s most ill-informed and kneejerk fans in the world must be galling. Especially given the basketcase that Real is, and the obvious, deeper reasons for the faults with Real.

It wasn’t just Benitez, obviously. As unsuitable a man as he was to the job, there are more fundamental problems. Florentino Perez and his meddling and ego meant that Carlo Ancelotti, who had just won the Champions League, could not build on it. Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez came, and Angel Di Maria - a key player for the side - left. The central defence still had the temperamental Pepe, and Iker Casillas was excommunicated after being left in the stocks for a year. The squad was unbalanced, the manager was given instructions to make a collection of names work as best as possible, rather than make the best team he could. Bale might not have been quite as excellent as he had been in the past, but in a struggling side trying to manage Ronaldo’s decline from something incredible to something more believable, it was certainly not all his faults. To be vilified must be incredibly tedious. Leaving, then, makes sense, regardless of Benitez being sacked or not.

For Manchester United, the transfer makes sense. They are a team with a squad desperate for some real excellence. It has been ever since Robin van Persie had his one good season. Di Maria and Radamel Falcao both had a season of failure. Anthony Martial and Memphis might one day be capable of it, but they are too young to be relied upon. In Memphis’ case, he is still well off the pace, and should not even be in the first team squad. Even Louis van Gaal knows that the squad needs pace and danger up front, and Bale can clearly give that. With his strength and finishing, he would make short work of the limited teams in the Premier League.

And as lacking as the United squad is, if you add Bale to it, United would probably become favourites for the title. The unnecessary Wayne Rooney could be replaced, or perhaps the studiously slow Juan Mata, and the team would improve even if they kept the cowardly Van Gaal in charge of the team’s approach.

Bale joining might have another, more beneficial side-effect. If Bale arrived, it might finally convince Ed Woodward to stop faffing in pursuit of a big name signing. He would get the adoration from the mass of ignorant United fans across the world, those unconcerned by commercialism and the Glazers. He would be popular, which seems to be all he wants, after job security. And perhaps he might finally focus on giving the manager the players he actually needs. A central defender, perhaps, and he might countenance the sale of Rooney to the Chinese Retirement League, or the US Pension Scheme.

So, a departure from Spain and Real Madrid makes sense for Bale, as does a move back to England. The signing of Bale also makes complete sense for United, on and off the pitch. But Bale might like to ask himself whether joining United is the best option available to him. Assuming that he won’t join Bayern Munich or PSG, the other clubs who might be able to afford him and want him in their side, it leaves Manchester City and Chelsea as his other choices. At least one of them is probably the better choice.

If Guardiola joins City, then he would provide not just back-up, but serious competition for Sergio Aguero. He would also be able to fulfill the function of Franck Ribery or Arjen Robben in the Bayern style he uses at the moment. While not his greatest strengths, he has the technique to cope with the demands of Guardiola, and he would provide a cheat option in the Premier League, which has been proven vulnerable to his strengths.

If he joins Chelsea, then he would fill a vacancy by Eden Hazard, who might even go in the other direction, to Real. The draw of London is generally greater than that of Manchester, and Bale is accustomed to the city from his time at Spurs. Chelsea also have a better record domestically and in Europe compared to United, in recent times anyway. There is less of a risk in joining either of these sides.

United are currently poorly organised, incorrectly funded, and owned by a group who have no real interest in making another great team, just a profitable one. If Bale wants to return to England, then they will want him. He should consider whether he really wants them, though.