Gareth Bale is closing in on a return to Tottenham Hotspur - but it could have all been very different.
Bale is heading back to Spurs on loan from Real Madrid - seven years after his then-world record £85million move to the Bernabeu.
Manchester United were keen to land the Wales superstar and now David Moyes - their manager at the time - has revealed just how close they came.
Moyes - now West Ham United boss - told Sky Sports: "I was hoping that he (Bale) wouldn't have left Spurs in the first place to go to Madrid, because when I was Manchester United manager, we had agreed to try to take him to Manchester United.
"We were very, very close to getting him before he went to Real Madrid.
"I was trying to make him one of my first signings at Manchester United - I just couldn't talk him out of going to Real Madrid at the time.
"He's been away a while. I'm sure he's enjoyed his time at Real Madrid. He's had great success, when you look at the amount of Champions League medals he's coming back with.
"I think it's good for the Premier League - but I wish he hadn't left (Spurs). I hoped he would have joined me at Manchester United at that time."
Asked if United had held talks with Bale about a move to Old Trafford back in 2013, Moyes replied: "Yeah, we did. I think we even had a helicopter at the training ground waiting to go down and get him at one point.
"I think we had a bigger offer in and we had sorted things out but I think his heart was already on going to Real Madrid at the time."
