Manchester United target Bale set to stay at Madrid

Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale has dealt Manchester United a blow this month after telling Real Madrid he intends to see out his contract to finally leave on a free transfer in 2022.

Wales superstar Bale has a cool relationship with Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane after the Frenchman tried to force him out last summer to shift his huge wages.

He was set to join Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning for free on a £1million-a-week deal but Real aborted the deal as they wanted a transfer fee.

Now United are short of firepower after Marcus Rashford's back injury.

It has left United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitting they could even be forced to look at short-term loans.

But Mirror Sport understands Bale remains in no rush to walk away from the Spanish giants despite the transfer window re-opening this month.

Bale, who turned 30 in July, has been in and out of Madrid's side this term.

He has made 14 appearances and 10 starts and has missed their last three games.

But he is under contract until June 2022 on a mega deal worth over £600,000-a-week.

Bale is now content to let his contract expire before seeking a new club.

It means the star could add to his four Champions Leagues, one La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and three Uefa Super Cups and Club World Cups since joining from Spurs in 2013 for £85million and scoring more than 100 goals.

Wales' record goalscorer is also determined to be fit and ready for Euro 2020 after captaining them to qualification.

But Bale's passion for Wales has upset Real fans who have mocked his priorities with Predrag Mijatovic, the former Real striker, saying he favours "Wales, golf, and after that Real Madrid".

In November Bale admitted he gets "more excited” playing for Wales than Real Madrid.

Bale recently missed Real's Spanish Super Cup semi-final and final victories against Valencia and Atletico Madrid due to a chest infection but was omitted from Zidane's 19-man squad for Saturday's La Liga win over Sevilla despite being fit.