Carlo Ancelotti will fight to keep Gareth Bale at Real Madrid and out of the clutches of Manchester United this summer, it has emerged.
Real boss Ancelotti faces his own battle to survive at the Bernabeu at the end of this season but has already told club president Florentino Perez that Bale should not be sold under any circumstances.The Wales international — on United’s list of targets for the summer — has endured a difficult second season at Real.
He was heavily criticised across Spain for another poor display as the holders lost their Champions League semi-final first leg 2-1 at Juventus.Bale’s modest efforts drew stinging criticism from ITV analyst Roy Keane, who said the former Tottenham star had been so poor that Real had been left playing with 10 men. That, in turn, brought a stinging rebuke from Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett.
Away from all this, though, it is understood Ancelotti’s faith in Bale remains absolute. The veteran Italian coach has already attributed the poor performance in the semi-final first leg to injuries and believes Bale will return to form over the next two or three weeks.
With Perez looking to sell one big name each summer to make way for another, Bale is a prime candidate to leave as clubs like Chelsea and United begin to circle.
Nevertheless, Ancelotti believes Bale will grow into a genuine Real galactico.
With Keane having been so critical on the night of the Juventus game, Barnett made the unusual decision to defend his client vigorously yesterday, telling the BBC: ‘Why should we take any notice of comments from people who don’t know what they are talking about — and from people who have failed in management?‘This is only an issue in England. Gareth is at the biggest club in the world. He is one of the best players in the world. He is fine.
‘He only listens to relevant comments. He is 100 per cent focused on Real Madrid.’
United still hope to persuade goalkeeper David de Gea to sign a new deal, despite interest from Real. Another shaky performance from Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas suggested change is needed in that position and former United coach Phil Neville admitted he is worried De Gea may leave Old Trafford.
‘My biggest fear in the summer is David de Gea,’ said Neville. ‘I want him tied up on a long-term contract.
‘He is the best developer I have seen for a number of years. From when he first signed to where he is now, the improvement he has shown has been nothing short of incredible.‘He is the best around. He has won Manchester United games, he is up there with Edwin van der Sar and Peter Schmeichel in terms of winning games.’
Real face a tricky second leg at home next week but James Rodriguez is already talking up their chances.The 23-year-old said: ‘It’s not a bad loss. They were lucky. We have to think about next Wednesday. They will sit back and we have to have faith.’ – Daily Mail