Real Madrid rule out selling Gareth Bale to Manchester United this summer

Real Madrid consider Gareth Bale to be an integral member of their playing squad and will not entertain offers for the Welsh forward this summer, according to reports.

Spanish daily Marca says Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane and the club hierarchy remain big admirers of Bale, despite the 27-year-old enduring an injury-hit 2016/17 campaign.

Uncertainty over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo has further stiffened the 12-time European champions' resolve to hold on to Bale, who has five years left to run on his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Manchester United have been consistently linked with a move for the Welsh forward, while Paris Saint-Germain are also understood to be monitoring his situation.

Marca said Real's hierarchy are convinced that Bale will deliver next season and consider him to be "untouchable" and "not transferable".

Bale himself is reported to favour staying at Madrid and is focused on featuring more regularly for the club after playing in just 19 La Liga games last season.

The former Tottenham player missed several crucial fixtures in the final six weeks of Real's campaign with a calf injury, but returned to make a cameo in the club's Champions League final victory over Juventus in Cardiff.

He spent three months on the sidelines earlier on in the season due to an ankle injury.

"I've signed a long-term contract at Madrid," Bale was reported as saying by FourFourTwo earlier in June.

"My family is happy and I am happy so, yeah, we will continue what we are doing. We are winning trophies and I am happy.

"I need to go on holiday and rest, and come back stronger next season – mainly for my ankle just to get it properly recovered," the Wales international continued.

"Then I'll obviously do some work in the off-season to get it stronger and ready for next season so I'll be firing on all cylinders."