Louis Van Gaal bemoaned the lack of star quality in the Manchester United attack recently, and the manager is looking at fixing that problem by signing Gareth Bale from Real Madrid for a world record fee.

With Adidas finally coming on board the Manchester United train officially, after that staggering £750million deal was struck last year, the sporting giants are desperate to bag a marquee player who also endorses for them.

That man could be Bale, with Manchester United chief executive testing the waters at Real Madrid in a bid to sign the Welshman before the transfer window shuts, according to the Daily Express.

Bale to the Premier League, chiefly Manchester United, has been a regular feature since the 26-year-old's move from Tottenham to Real Madrid for a world record fee of around £86m.

However, Bale has always said he wants to stay at Real Madrid, even after enduring a testing campaign last season, where he was booed by the club's supporters for some not-that-great performances.

What the player says in public and what he might be thinking in reality are two completely different things, however, and Manchester United are ready to take advantage of any doubt that might still be lingering in Bale's mind, in terms of his footballing future, by making an offer in excess of the £86m in a bid to sign the talented forward.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, though, is a big fan of the Wales international, and has reportedly told new manager Rafa Benitez to make Bale the star of the team this season, despite the presence of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez.

Bale is the kind of player who can turn a Premier League team into the favourites for the title just by signing on the dotted line, and that is something Manchester United are clearly aware of.

Therefore, the club, who is set to lose some stardust with Angel Di Maria closing in on a transfer to PSG, are ready to bide their time and wait, if necessary, until the last moment, to pull off what would surely be the deal that returns Manchester United back to the top of the perch in the Premier League.