Gareth Bale is set to stay at Real Madrid (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United’s hopes of signing Gareth Bale this summer appear to be over after Real Madrid shelved plans to sign Monaco ace Kylian Mbappe.

Zinedine Zidane’s side have been heavily linked with a move for Mbappe but the La Liga champions have opted to postpone a move for the teenage sensation until next summer.

Mbappe’s arrival at the club would have made Bale’s future at the Bernabeu precarious but he has been told he will remain a key member of the squad next term, according to the Guardian.

The news will come as a huge blow to Jose Mourinho, who had cooled his interest in Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic to pursue Bale instead.

Real Madrid want to sign Mbappe next summer (Picture: Getty)

The Welshman chose Madrid over Manchester in 2013 when he left Tottenham but United have pursued him ever since and believed there was a realistic chance of bagging him this summer.

However, with Ronaldo turning 33 next February, Madrid have told Bale they are relying on him more than ever and the Wales international is more than happy to stay with the club.

Madrid’s decision to cool their interest in Mbappe is a calculated gamble. Zinedine believes his side benefitted last season from an established, settled attack and feels Mbappe will improve quicker with another year at Monaco.

However, Barcelona are determined to replace Neymar following his move to Paris Saint-Germain and now have the financial might to rival anyone for Mbappe after the world record £198m move.

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