Gareth Bale would turn Manchester United into champions if he joined, says Harry Redknapp

Bale was linked with the club but seems set to stay at Real Madrid

Gareth Bale scores for Real Madrid against Getafe on Sunday (GETTY IMAGES)

Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp believes that Gareth Bale would turn Manchester United into Premier League champions if he decided to join the club.

After enduring a tough second season at Real Madrid, the Welsh winger was linked with a move back to the Premier League, with Louis van Gaal reported to have made a bid.

The rumours have died down in recent weeks with new Real boss Rafa Benitez keen to make Bale an integral part of his new look side next season and the winger desperate to be a success at the Bernabeu and prove he is worth his world record fee.

But Redknapp, who managed Bale at Spurs and helped turn him into one of the best players in the world, believes that United would return to their best if Bale was to join the club.

"Absolutely," Redknapp told Press Association when asked if Bale could turn United from a top-four side into Premier League winners.

"If you said to me, as a Premier League manager you could have the pick of one player in the world, it would be Gareth above any other player - if he wanted to come back.

"A year ago, for me, he was the third best player in the world. He maybe has fallen behind Neymar and Luis Suarez now but he could come back here, as a fantastic footballer, and if he came back to England he could change the fortunes of a football club - he has that much ability."

Having led United back into the Champions League with a fourth-place finish, Van Gaal is likely to lead another summer spending spree this year and there is no doubt the Dutchman would love to work with a talent such as Bale.

Memphis Depay has already been signed from PSV Eindhoven and several other big names have been linked with Old Trafford - but Redknapp feels Bale is someone who can do everything required of a world-class footballer.

"He is a fantastic player, if he came back he'd be the best player in the Premier League by a mile," the former Queens Park Rangers boss added.

"He is a good lad and an amazing player. He can terrorise teams on his own.

"You saw what he did at Tottenham, the games that he won almost single-handedly. Almost every other week there was a last minute goal from Gareth.

"He is an amazing talent, he can score goals, he can make goals, he can run, he can dribble, he can shoot."

Additional reporting from PA