David Moyes has confirmed that Manchester United were interested in signing Gareth Bale and Cesc Fabregas during his time as manager of the club.

Moyes took over from legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 but did not last a full season at the Old Trafford helm, being sacked 10 months after his appointment with United sitting seventh in the table.

However, the Scot has revealed that the club were close to signing some high-profile players during that time, including Real Madrid's Bale and then-Barcelona midfielder Fabregas.

When asked which transfer near misses stick out in his mind, Moyes told beIN Sports: "One of them would be Michael Essien, that was actually to bring him to Everton. Toni Kroos would certainly be the one [to Manchester United].

"At that time we [Manchester United] were very much after Gareth Bale and Cesc Fabregas but I've got to say prior to that, at Everton, we were really close to close to a lot of good players. We just couldn't quite get them over the line on several occasions."

Bale remains at Real Madrid despite regular speculation over his future, while Fabregas joined Chelsea in the summer of 2014.