Victor Valdes signing spurs Manchester United pursuit of Real Madrid star Gareth Bale

Manchester United are reportedly keen on signing Gareth Bale after being made aware that Real Madrid are open to letting their star player leave in the summer.

According to the Manchester Evening News, the Spanish capital club are willing to listen to offers after the end of the season. Real star Cristiano Ronaldo and striker Karim Benzema were said to be unhappy with Bale's alleged selfish behaviour during their side's 2-1 defeat against Valencia.

The Wales international joined the La Liga giants in the summer of 2013 for a world record fee from Tottenham Hotspur and won the Champions League and Copa del Rey in his debut season.

United were interested in signing Bale before he joined Real and have still maintained their interest in securing his services. Carlo Ancelotti's side are planning to raid the Premier League outfit to make an approach for their star keeper David De Gea.

The Spaniard has less than two years left on his contract at Old Trafford and is yet to sign a new deal. The 20-time English champions secured the services of Victor Valdes on an 18-month deal on Thursday.

Louis van Gaal now has a world class replacement in the squad should De Gea decide to end his time in England. He has been on Real's radar for the last few years as they consider the United stopper a long-term successor for Iker Casillas at Santiago Bernabeu.

The Old Trafford outfit are willing to use De Gea as a part of the deal to sign Bale later this year.

The Manchester Evening News claims the sources within the club at United are confident that De Gea will extend his stay. Even if he signs an extension, it is unlikely to fend off interest Real from chasing Madrid-born keeper.

De Gea extending his contract will help United get a better value when they allow him to leave and his price has significantly improved as he continues to impress in the Premier League.

Real are quite firm that Bale is not for sale after their president Florentino Perez rejected recent reports linking Bale to United. However, an opportunity to sign De Gea could tempt the La Liga side to allow the former Tottenham star return to the Premier League as a part of the swap deal.