Manchester United manager David Moyes says his club have not made an offer for Tottenham Hotspur forward Gareth Bale, but he refused to deny an interest in the player.
Bale is poised to join Real Madrid for a world-record fee after several months of courtship by the Spanish giants, but reports emerged in the British media on Monday that a rival club had also shown an interest.
When asked if United had submitted a bid for Bale on Monday, Moyes told reporters: "No".
However, he added: "Manchester United are always interested in the best players and the board and myself would always be looking to sign who we think are the best players, wherever they are."
Moyes was speaking after a goalless draw with Chelsea in the Premier League in his first home game as United manager.
The contest was a drab affair, but Moyes was encouraged by a committed display from striker Wayne Rooney, who belied reports that he is unsettled at the club with a performance of effort and determination.
Rooney has been the subject of two failed bids from Chelsea during the close season and their coach Jose Mourinho was pessimistic about the prospects of signing him after the game, saying he would only wait "24 hours, 48 hours" for Rooney to make a decision on his future.
"I was very pleased with his performance and I was very pleased with the reaction from the crowd," said Moyes.
Moyes said Rooney had "a positive mind" and rejected the notion that the 27-year-old needs to make a public declaration of allegiance to United.
"I think his performance tonight said enough," he said. "I think his actions tonight showed what he thought."
Despite his failure to make progress in his attempts to sign the player, Mourinho also praised Rooney's display, branding him "fantastic" and describing his attitude as "very English".
"This is a special club with special fans and I think probably now he thinks he wants to stay," Mourinho told Sky Sports.
"If that is his decision, we will respect that and say it is over. If now, he does not want to leave, we are out of the thing but we need to know what is happening."
