Three ways Manchester United could line up with Gareth Bale in their side

Add as preferred source on Google

Real Madrid may be close to an agreement with Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe in a £160 million deal, but the Independent believe that the move could lead to a sensational signing for Manchester United too.

They claim that it could open the door for Gareth Bale to move to Old Trafford.

Mbappe is unlikely to be content sitting on the bench at the Bernabeu, and that is likely to leave to the exit of one of Madrid’s key forwards, also known as BBC; Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale or Cristiano Ronaldo.

How would Bale fit in at Old Trafford? Here, The Boot Room identify three ways that Jose Mourinho could use the Welshman in his Manchester United squad…

In a front three with Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku

This is the system that Bale has played in throughout his time in Spain and is likely to be where he would excel most. Last season, he lined up on the right wing fairly often. In pre-season, Rashford has lined up alongside Lukaku but often tended to drift out wide to the right.

This shape may allow Jose Mourinho to get the best out of Rashford and Bale, playing the Welshman on the left side of a front three with an out and out centre forward in the middle in Lukaku. Consider it an imitation of Zinedine Zidane’s BBC.

In a central role, behind Romelu Lukaku

At Tottenham and for Wales, Bale has been used as a more central player, as something of a shadow striker. That could work at Old Trafford too, allowing him to use his bursts of pace to capitalise on the great hold up play of Romelu Lukaku just in front of him in attack.

The club’s marquee signing this summer, the Red Devils will not want to drop Lukaku and this could be the most effective way to exploit the strengths of both players in one line-up.

On the left wing, replacing Anthony Martial

There have been doubts surrounding Anthony Martial’s future since he failed to nail down a regular first team spot last season. There has been no indication that he could leave yet this summer, but if the club spend big in order to sign Bale then he may need to leave in order to finance the move.

That would give Bale a space on the left wing to make his own. Bale would, undoubtedly, be first choice ahead of the likes of Jesse Lingard or Juan Mata, and could bring real quality to the team.