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Sir Alex Ferguson held meetings at hotel in bid to sign Gareth Bale when he was at Southampton but they rejected Manchester United's '£3m or £4m' offer as they had recently sold Theo Walcott, claims former manager

Sir Alex Ferguson came close to bringing Gareth Bale to Manchester United but concerns over his defensive capabilities meant a deal was never finalised.

George Burley, a former Southampton manager, has revealed he held talks with his counterpart at a hotel about Bale, but they could not agree a fee.

'He was like a winger playing at full-back," Burley told The Athletic. 'Manchester United were interested in him.

Manchester United were interested in Gareth Bale when he was a Southampton player
Former Saints boss George Burley (right) held talks with United over a move for Bale

'I remember going to a hotel and speaking to Sir Alex and his chief executive.