Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has conceded defeat in his pursuit of Gareth Bale.
Mourinho revealed in the build up to Tuesday’s UEFA Super Cup clash with Real Madrid that the club would fight tooth and nail to sign Bale if their Spanish counterparters were open to selling this summer.
The United manager has been a long-term admirer of Bale but the 28-year-old started against his side and Mourinho has admitted after their defeat to Madrid that it is now game over.
“I think now everybody knows he is going to stay,” BBC Sport quote Mourinho as saying after their 2-1 defeat on Tuesday night.
Gareth Bale: Since August 2013 only three La Liga players have attempted more shots from outside the penalty area than Bale (137) pic.twitter.com/j0ChfHzl4Z
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) July 28, 2017
Bale endured a nightmare season last term after a series of reoccurring injuries restricted his involvement for Zinedine Zidane’s side all year.
Reports emerged suggesting Florentino Perez would look to sell the former Tottenham winger to bankroll a blockbuster move for Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe, but the Madrid president has since denied those claims.
Bale was limited to just 17 starts in La Liga last season and only managed to weigh in with seven goals and two assists. Since August 2013, only three La Liga players have attempted more shots from outside the penalty area than Bale (137).
