David Moyes admitted Manchester United “came close” to signing Gareth Bale when he took charge of the club in 2013.

Moyes replaced Sir Alex Ferguson in the same summer that the Welsh talisman left Tottenham for £86m, and although admitting a deal was close, the player reportedly had his heart set on a move to Spain.

Bale has become a symbol of frustration for Real Madrid, who after back-to-back defeats to Barcelona, were knocked out of the Champions League by Ajax last night.

The 29-year-old’s agent recently claimed the club’s fans were “a disgrace” after Bale was jeered off the pitch, but affirmed that the player would remain at the club due to nobody else being able to match his exorbitant wages.

“I wanted him to be my first signing at Manchester United,’ Moyes told eirSport. “We came close, spoke to him, but he had his heart set on Real Madrid and we couldn’t talk him out of it.”

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“It was a real disappointment because I saw him as a Manchester United-type player.

“He carries himself well, I think he’s a terrific player. He can play wide, we can play as a striker now that he’s developed that.