Manchester United news: Former boss reveals the player he nearly signed during his time at the club

What's the story?

Former Everton and Manchester United boss David Moyes has lifted the lid on how he nearly signed Gareth Bale during his time at Old Trafford.

In case you didn't know...

David Moyes was appointed as Manchester United manager in 2013 following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement after spending 27 successful years at the club. However, Moyes was not able to handle the pressure and was sacked after just 10 months in charge. The club finished seventh in the league during his time at United.

The English giants rivalled Real Madrid in the pursuit of Gareth Bale when Moyes was in charge. However, the Welshman joined Real Madrid for a world record fee of £85.3 million at the time. The Welshman went on to win four Champions League and a La Liga title with Los Blancos.

The heart of the matter

The Scot while talking to eirSports (H/T SkySports) has revealed that Gareth Bale was the first player he wanted to bring at Old Trafford in 2013:

I wanted him to be my first signing at Manchester United.

We came close, spoke to him, but he had his heart set on Real Madrid and we couldn't talk him out of it. It was a real disappointment because I saw him as a Manchester United type player.

Moyes praised the Wales star and further added:

He carries himself well, I think he's a terrific player. He can play wide, we can play as a striker now that he's developed that.

I just think all round he's a terrific athlete and a brilliant footballer so I think that he would have fitted what we wanted but I couldn't talk him out of it.

What's next?

Manchester United will travel to France to lock horns with PSG in the second leg of Round of 16 in the Champions League.