Former Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has opened up about Ed Woodward and David Moyes after he famously snubbed Manchester United during his time at Tottenham.
David Moyes had succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson in the Old Trafford hot seat after the iconic 84-year-old former Manchester United manager retired in 2013.
The 62-year-old Scotsman’s first — and only — summer window at the Premier League club saw the Red Devils linked with a blockbuster move for Gareth Bale.
Moyes had Ed Woodward as executive vice-chairman at United at the time and the former Red Devils chief executive oversaw transfers post-David Gill at the club.
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Ex-Real Madrid ace Gareth Bale makes his admission about Ed Woodward after David Moyes’ Man Utd side wanted him
Gareth Bale’s scintillating run in his first spell at Tottenham saw the 36-year-old Welsh former winger heavily linked with both Manchester United and Real Madrid.
The former Tottenham ace had been identified as a top target for David Moyes — alongside the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Toni Kroos — as part of his United reign.
Bale made an appearance on The Overlap’s Stick to Football and admitted that he spoke with Moyes, but he never chatted with Ed Woodward over a potential move.
“United and Madrid were the two,” he said.
“I spoke with David Moyes — I didn’t speak to Ed Woodward, maybe my agent did, I don’t know.”
Bale explained that he was keen to move to Los Blancos and former Tottenham executive chairman Daniel Levy did not want to sell him to a Premier League club.
“But my heart was set on Madrid anyway,” he added.
“I had something in place with Daniel Levy, more of a gentleman’s agreement.
He didn’t want to sell me to a rival, but if a team did come in from Spain, Italy, Germany, wherever it may be… I could potentially go if we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, which we didn’t.
“He made it very tough, [as] he does, but he stayed true to his word.”
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Gareth Bale breaks down the failed Man Utd approach ahead of his blockbuster Real Madrid move in 2013
Bale became the most expensive player in the world at the time of his signing for Madrid after the end of the 2012-13 Premier League season with Tottenham.
The former Spurs and Wales winger was snapped up for an eye-watering £85.3m by Madrid, who previously broke the world-record fee to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.
Bale admitted that United “offered more money” than Los Blancos in their approach, but a potential move to Old Trafford had no real “legs” behind it in 2013.
“I didn’t go down the wages route with United,” he continued.
“It didn’t go that far. They offered more money to buy me and [another] player, but it didn’t really get any legs, to be honest. So again, I chose wrong!
“But I had my heart set on it [going to Real Madrid], so once I spoke to them and they reserved the number 11, I spoke with numerous people at the club
“I knew [Luka] Modric, who went there the year before, which obviously helped me, knowing I’ve at least got someone I can be with, because when you go to a new club it’s, ‘Who’s your mates?’
“He was great for me and he was the player I played with most in my career, which is not bad.”
United struggled to sign key players for Moyes under Ed Woodward’s watch and the Red Devils’ only major summer signing in 2013 was Marouane Fellaini from Everton.
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