Guillem Balague: 'Gareth Bale wants to stay at Real Madrid'

Respected Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has said that Gareth Bale "wants to stay" at Real Madrid this summer.

Bale's future has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks, with the Wales international struggling for starts over the last few months.

Manchester United have been linked with a swoop for the Wales international, with one report claiming that the Red Devils had agreed a fee of £104m with Madrid for his signature.

However, according to Balague - speaking to BBC Sport - Bale "wants to stay" at the Bernabeu.

Bale has scored 101 goals in 223 appearances for Madrid, helping them win one La Liga, one Copa del Rey and four Champions League crowns since arriving from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013.

The 29-year-old, who has recently been defended by his agent Jonathan Barnett, has a contract with Los Blancos until the end of the 2021-22 campaign.