Real boss blows whistle on United’s bid for Welsh wizard

LONDON: Manchester United offered more than £120mil (RM619mil) in a desperate bid to get Gareth Bale.

And they also promised mega wages and bonuses to stop him moving to Real Madrid.

But United boss David Moyes was stunned when the official offer was tossed out, with Bale insisting he wanted to move from Tottenham to Spain.

Real president Florentino Perez confirmed the United move on Tuesday. He said: “We learnt that United had made an offer and we made one ourselves.”

Perez’s confirmation of the bid heaps more embarrassment on United and their dreadful summer transfer window, when they missed out on a string of targets.

Spurs supremo Daniel Levy had indicated he was willing to accept the astonishing United deal – they were paying a premium as a fellow Premier League club – and sell to their English rivals.

But it was Bale who refused to go to Old Trafford.

Perez admitted it was United’s incredible world-record bid that galvanised his club’s own efforts to sign Bale, 24, as Red Devils chiefs piled on the pressure late in the transfer window.

It was Bale’s insistence on fulfilling a boyhood dream of playing for Real after five years at Spurs that swung the deal the Spanish club’s way. United were forced to offer so much as Tottenham did not want to anger fans by selling their best player to a title rivals. — The Sun, London