Mourinho flirting with Bale
Mourinho is giving the eye to Bale. On Sunday the pair met in the dressing room tunnel at the Levi Stadium in Santa Clara and he told him: “I can't sign you because you don't speak". He recalls Florentino's approach, which was to wait for a visible gesture from a player giving some certainty before launching into a transfer operation in vain. Of course, Mourinho will have learned this from him. Yesterday he was asked about Bale and said he was happy with his current squad, but open to it being reinforced with "players who would give more attacking options on the wings (...)". This of course, would fit Bale's case.
Bale Ballon d'Or dream for Pérez
For the Premier League, Bale is an open wound, and Mourinho knows it. He is the great British player of the moment and is playing outside the UK, in LaLiga. He is a top player and has a strong promotional draw. In fact, Florentino was infatuated with him when he saw a Premier League advert with him, adorning a complete building façade, on the corner of New York's Times Square. He was signed for the asking price, surpassing the previous record of Cristiano Ronaldo. The president's dream was that the Welshman would become, over time, a serious contender for the Ballon d'Or, contesting the throne with Neymar, once it was vacated by Messi and Cristiano, which will happen one day. But this is not happening.
Pérez should swap Bale for Mbappé
This dream is not coming to fruition not because he's a poor player, he isn't, but because he was unnecessary at Madrid, and it showed, as he searched for his place. And he's injury prone. At United (or any other English side) it would be different, injuries aside. He would be the focal point of everything, as he is for Wales. In principle it seems that he would be better suited to a move to England that staying in Madrid, where only Florentino's reticence to admit he got this one wrong is in the way. He wants to persevere. But many are advising him to take the money, which could be significant, and confirm the move for Mbappé, the great prospect of European football.