• Club tell forward they will not try to buy Kylian Mbappé until next summer • Manchester United continue to have an interest in Inter’s Ivan Perisic

Gareth Bale has been assured that he is the future of Real Madrid and they will not try to buy Monaco’s Kylian Mbappé until next summer in a move that will disappoint Manchester United.

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The 28-year-old is content at Real and keen to see out the contract he signed last autumn that ends in 2022 and made him the world’s highest-paid player, on around £350,000 a week, until Neymar signed for Paris Saint-Germain.

Real have a firm interest in Mbappé but have informed Bale they are unlikely to attempt to buy the 18-year-old striker in the near future. This has reconfirmed Bale’s status as one of Real’s prime assets and, with Cristiano Ronaldo turning 33 in February, the European champions view the Welshman as having a long‑term future in Zinedine Zidane’s side.

Neymar’s world record £200.6m transfer to PSG means Barcelona may turn their attention to Mbappé. If Barça were to sign Mbappé, who reportedly wants to leave Monaco, this would further cement Bale’s standing at Real.

United have a continuing interest in Bale and José Mourinho is keen to make a forward his fourth signing of the transfer window.

Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman, will continue to monitor Bale’s situation at the Bernabéu. However, given Real’s intent that he should stay and the player’s desire to do so it seems unlikely United will be able to prise him away.

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Mourinho has spent £146m on Benfica’s Victor Lindelof, Everton’s Romelu Lukaku and Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic. He continues to target Internazionale’s Ivan Perisic as the man he wants to strengthen his forward line, with the manager having reservations about Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial.

One member of Mourinho’s squad likely to leave is Timothy Fosu-Mensah. The 19-year-old Dutch defender, who can also operate as a midfielder, is set to depart on loan in order to gain regular first-team football. Fosu-Mensah’s preference is for a Premier League club. Crystal Palace are thought to be interested in a season-long deal. Frank de Boer, Palace’s new manager, is a countryman of Fosu-Mensah and is aware of his potential. De Boer requires a right-back and believes he can help develop a player who has featured 21 times for United but whose progress has been slow after he made his debut under Louis van Gaal, Mourinho’s predecessor, in February 2016.

Fosu-Mensah recently admitted he is unsure of Mourinho’s plans are for him. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m just trying to develop my game. I’m young and still have a lot to learn, but I’m learning every day. I’m working with one of the best managers in the world, it’s something I’m grateful for and, as I say, I’m learning every day.”