Recent rumours in the footballing world have been suggesting a sensational swap deal between Real Madrid and Manchester United with Bale and Di Maria trading places. Whether or not there is any truth behind these rumours is not clear, the idea however would seem to be the perfect option for all involved.
Both Gareth Bale and Angel Di Maria have been enduring poor spells for their respective clubs, Bale hasn't scored in eight games now and the Madrid supporters are beginning to make their disappointment heard. Di Maria has been equally woeful lately for United, his red card on Monday night just summed up the time he has had since joining from Real Madrid last summer.
Di Maria has very much struggled with the physicality of the Premier League, he thrived in the stand off-ish nature of La Liga and cant seem to come to terms with what's required in England. That being said, he started his career in flying form with some man of the match performances but has found the burden of almost carrying Van Gaal’s side too much. Being the star man in the side is something Di Maria doesnt appear comfortable with, at Madrid he was somewhat of an unsung hero, quietly going about his business, the situation is similar in the Argentinian set up where Messi takes the limelight and Di Maria performs consistently without the pressure of being the main man.
Gareth Bale on the other hand would love nothing more than to be the star man at Real Madrid but of course with Ronaldo there it can't happen. For Tottenham Bale was the star, he carried the side and seemed perfectly happy to do so, thriving in the limelight. The likelihood of him ever being the main man at Madrid is slim as Ronaldo looks to have a few more years at the top left in him. Thats why a move back to the Premier League would be perfect for the Welshman, it would be a chance for him to once again be the star of a team.
Statistically it is evident that both players are not having their best seasons. In his 20 league games, Di Maria has scored 3 and assisted 8 goals, compare that to his stats for Madrid last season where he scored 4 and assisted 17 in 27 appearances in La Liga, his Champions League stats were also very impressive getting 3 goals and 5 assists in 9 games. Bale has also failed to hit the heights of his previous seasons scoring just 10 and assisting 5 in his 23 La Liga games thus far. In his swansong season at Spurs the Welsh international managed a total of 21 goals and 4 assists in 34 league games.
To be fair to both players, their stats are far from terrible, the average player would be more than happy with these numbers but neither of these two are average players. The two men have mainly performed in spurts making their stats look a little more appealing but across the whole season they have been inconsistent.
In terms of the possibility of the move happening there doesn't seem to be too many problems. Financially both are worth similar amounts so a straight swap wouldn't be out of the question and both players would be earning similar amounts so wages would not be a big stumbling point. Whether or not the players would be interested is questionable, Di Maria really does not seem to be enjoying life in Manchester and would jump at the chance to get away you would expect. Bale on the other hand may want to prove himself at Madrid and a move to United might represent a backward step especially if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
Manchester United have been rumoured on many occasions to want to bring Bale back to the Premier League and would see the disposal of Di Maria as a good option at this moment in time. Ancelotti would welcome Di Maria with open arms was he to rejoin him at the Bernabeu, Ancelotti remember never wanted Di Maria to leave in the first place.
As good as the deal may seem for everyone involved the chances of a swap deal of this magnitude actually happening are quite slim. Instead it seems Di Maria and Bale will have to soldier on in their quests to regain their once great form.
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