English press reports serious Manchester United interest in Gareth Bale

'The Daily Express', 'The Sun', The Mirror', 'The Telegraph', 'The Independent', 'The Guardian'... It would be easier to list the publications that didn't lead with a story related to Manchester United's interest in Gareth Bale on Monday.

Howeve,r as is the norm with a player of Bale's calibre, the 'Red Devils' are by no means the only side interested in the Welshman, with German champions Bayern Munich also thought to be closely monitoring the former developments at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

Since Bale himself opened the door to a potential Real Madrid exit following his starring role in Real Madrid's 13th European Cup triumph, citing a desire for more regular playing time, the rumours over a possible departure have only intensified.

Both Bayern and United are hot on the heels of the former Tottenham man, though it is the English side that are thought to hold the most serious interest in the Wales international, having previously attempted to bring him to the club last summer.

With Jose Mourinho attempting to build a squad capable of challenging runaway Premier League champions and cross-city rivals Manchester City, the Portuguese appears to have identified Bale as his top target to complete a formidable frontline that already boasts the considerable talents of Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku.

Despite Bale's five-year spell in the Spanish capital having largely been interrupted by injuries, the Manchester United medical team is thought to be confident of bringing an end to the niggles and strains and ensuring Bale is regularly available to Mourinho for selection, should he complete a move to the 'Theatre of Dreams'.

The aforementioned sources reports that Bale's agent, Jonathan Barnett, will meet with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez within a fortnight to discuss his client's future, with Mourinho and United waiting in the wings to slap a juicy cheque down on the table of one the Bernabeu's plush conference rooms.

The one thing that the English press cannot agree on appears to be the fee, with figures ranging from the €136.5m reported in 'The Independent', to the €227.5m reported in 'The Sun', with the latter enough for Bale to become the most expensive player in world football for the second time in his career.

Whatsmore, 'The Sun' also talks of a salary comparable to the €38.5m per season earned by Barcelona star Lionel Messi and some way above the €11m Bale is currently believed to earn with 'Los Blancos'.

For Bale though, the figures are not so important, with his words in Kiev continuing to ring in the ears: "I need to be playing week in, week out."