No longer a regular focal point of Real Madrid’s starting XI, the idea of Gareth Bale returning to the Premier League now seems more plausible ahead of the summer transfer window than ever before – and recent reports from Spain claim a move to Manchester United remains his priority.

But there are question marks over what exactly the Red Devils, or any summer suitor, would be getting compared to the flying forward that left Tottenham Hotspur for the Bernabeu in 2013 at world-record cost.

No doubt, Bale is still a fantastic talent – very few players, if any, regress as footballers because they’re playing alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Toni Kroos and Luca Modric. In fact, quite the opposite.

But the early portion of Bale’s Real Madrid career was defined by his ability to make the difference in big games – scoring goals in the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals during his debut campaign.

Compare that to this season though; all but two of his eleven goals in La Liga have come against sides in the bottom half of the table, and his only goal in the Champions League was during a relatively routine 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund.

Of course, there are caveats to consider here – it’s not easy for any player when they’re coming in and out of the team, and Zinedine Zidane has often shied away from starting the Welshman in Real Madrid’s biggest games.

But Real Madrid’s dramatic 3-1 defeat to Juventus in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday night provided an opportunity for Bale to truly make an impact on an important occasion for Los Blancos.

The 70-cap international failed to truly embrace it; in fact, barring one effort at goal and an attempt to convert the rebound with a backheel, his attacking contributions were limited to just one accurate cross and one chance created. Most worryingly for a player who made his name at top level by driving at teams on the counter-attack, he also didn’t register a single successful dribble.

The other big concern regarding Bale is inevitably his injury problems, but that’s interlinked with form too. And perhaps after so many bouts on the sidelines during his time in the Spanish capital, those injury issues are starting to catch up with him – especially in the big games against top-quality defences.

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So, Manchester United fans, has Wednesday’s performance put you off the idea of signing Bale? Let us know by voting below….

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As reported by The Sun, Everton are interested in signing Southampton defender Ryan Bertrand in the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Another disappointing season has come and gone at Goodison Park and if the Toffees are to compete with the best in division next term then they need to add serious quality and depth to their first team squad.

One player they’re interested in is Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand.

That’s according to The Sun, who say Everton are lining up alongside the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United for his signature this summer.

The 28-year-old, who the paper say earns £80,000-a-week, is said to be available in the transfer market for around £25m, putting him in reach of Sam Allardyce’s outfit.

Can they convince him his future lies on Merseyside?

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A good signing?

Bertrand may be part of a disappointing Southampton side this season but he’s been a stand-out for them for a number of seasons in the top-flight, making close to 150 appearances.

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His form has been impressive enough to see him award 19 caps for England, solidifying his status as one of the best home grown defenders in the country.

With Leighton Baines now 33 years of age, Everton need a long-term solution in the position and Bertrand could be it, possessing the experience and quality to perform consistently for the Toffees at the required level.

West Ham fans finally got some good news on Tuesday morning, as a report from Sky Sports claims the club will offer Declan Rice a new contract this summer.

In a season with plenty of ups but even more downs, West Ham fans are absolutely delighted with the news that Declan Rice could extend his stay with the club.

The 19 year-old centre back has been one of the few silver linings for the club this season, having broken through into the first team.

Rice has made 22 Premier League appearances for David Moyes’ side, and will be looking to cement his place as a starter next season.

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Although the youngster did make a terrible mistake in the defeat at Arsenal, he has certainly got a bright future ahead of him.

Rice has one year left on his current deal, although the club do have an option to extend it a further year.

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The report from Sky Sports claim they want to do more than that though, offering the youngster a new and improved extended deal.

The special bond that Rice has forged with the fans will surely make it an easy decision for him to sign a new deal, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Many observers might have thought that Sunderland’s relegation to the Premier League at the end of last season represented rock bottom but this campaign has shown that there were many more depths left to plumb.

Relegated as bottom of the second tier, not many Black Cats fans could have seen a light at the tunnel going into League One with the highest wage bill in the division’s history.

In an unexpected turn of events, manager Chris Coleman has been relieved of his duties but under-fire owner Ellis Short has sold the club, leaving the Stadium of Light with the North East club debt-free.

Sunderland fans have become used to being surprised by just how bad things can get, so this was a rare pleasant surprise for their fans.

After one hell of a day, we’ve taken a closer look at the best of the reaction from some of the long-suffering fans as the prospect of a brighter future begins to emerge…

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According to reliable club insider @ExWHUemployee on Episode 86 of The West Ham Way radio show, Paris Saint-Germain boss Unai Emery and Thomas Tuchel are both on the east London outfit’s managerial shortlist this summer should David Moyes leave, and Irons fans have been quick to react to the rumour.

The Scot’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season and while it seemed as though the deal could be extended at one stage, discontent from the London Stadium faithful, who mocked him on Twitter following the latest report on his future, over below-par performances and results mean he could go.

The Hammers hierarchy are obviously already looking at potential candidates to come in, with Emery already announced as leaving PSG at the end of the campaign, and Tuchel still unemployed having been sacked by Borussia Dortmund just under a year ago.

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West Ham supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the story, and while one said “as if either of those two would want to work with clowns running our club”, another simply labelled it as “laughable”.

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Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

The upcoming summer transfer window is a massive one for Tottenham Hotspur and Mauricio Pochettino.

Threatening for years to emerge as a serious title-contending force in the English Premier League, they were miles off the pace of Manchester City this season. With Liverpool improving all the time, Manchester United and Chelsea preparing themselves for another summer splurge and Arsenal about to embark on a new managerial era, this needs to be the transfer window that Spurs start showing serious ambition.

One of the key areas of the pitch that could do with improvement over the next few months is in central midfield.

Beyond the continually impressive Mousa Dembele, Spurs have lacked a solidity in the middle of the park that should be anchoring their more creative, dynamic and forward thinking players. Dembele himself is more of an all-rounder rather than a defensive specialist.

Harry Winks is a tidy player but is struggling to convince Pochettino he can be trusted to play regular top-flight football. Victor Wanyama is increasingly struggling to impose himself on the opposition despite his obvious physicality. In the case of Eric Dier, the Spurs manager can’t seem to decide whether to play him in defence or midfield half the time.

Last week the club have been linked with a £25m move for Boca Juniors’ Colombian midfielder Wilmar Barrios.

His role in Boca’s first team is perhaps best directly compared to that of Wanyama’s at Tottenham. He’s a player that screens the defensive line and fights flames before they burst into full blown fires.

With supporters crying out for more creativity and dynamism in the Spurs midfield, it might seem an odd priority for Spurs to pay a significant amount of money for a defensive midfielder, but his contributions in 2017/19 demonstrate a player who could replace the Kenyan in Pochettino’s starting eleven.

His defensive averages in key areas for the Argentinian side for the season past, as collated by WhoScored.com, not only outstrip Wanyama, but much of the entire Tottenham squad.

With 69 tackles in total, he’s averaging three per game, almost double the average of Victor Wanyama with 1.7. The Kenyan international also falls behind in averages for interceptions, clearances and blocks compared to the Colombian.

While the Premier League is obviously a higher standard than the Argentinian top-flight, it’s clear that Barrios is a player willing to impose himself on the match and turnover possession, rather than passively marking or jockeying his opponents.

With an 84% passing accuracy rating too, he can clearly be effective in moving the ball on to teammates.

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It’s an energy and commitment that could bring new life to Tottenham next season and allow their attacking players to shine, perhaps performing a similar role to that of N’Golo Kante at Chelsea, although obviously a direct quality comparison to the French international is a little early.

His appearance at the upcoming World Cup should be of particular interest to Spurs fans, who could get a look at how he does against more elite competition than his league opposition.

Is he the midfield enforcer Tottenham need? The potential is certainly there.

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Leicester City star Riyad Mahrez has been a prominent figure in the transfer gossip pages over the last few windows.

The Algerian international is likely to be regularly mentioned this summer as well, and it seems that Manchester City fans are keeping a close eye on the situation.

Last summer, the Cityzens failed to land Mahrez in the January transfer window due to Leicester’s unwillingness to sell, and now supporters have spotted an opening.

The Express reports that the Foxes, as well as West Ham United, plan to move for City’s Patrick Roberts when his loan spell at Celtic comes to an end.

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The 21-year-old winger joined the North-West outfit from Fulham in 2015, but is yet to force his way into Pep Guardiola’s team.

Fans believe that the newly-crowned Premier League champions should try to get Mahrez as part of the deal.

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The publication claims that Roberts is rated at around £15m, while Transfermarkt have worked out a figure of £45m for Mahrez.

It is highly unlikely that Leicester would agree to a straight swap due to the vast difference in valuation, but that has not stopped City supporters from hoping.

Newcastle United fans are unsure about potentially signing Middlesbrough attacker Adama Traore, after the player was linked with a move to St James’ Park earlier this week.

The Yorkshire Post reported that Traore is the subject of interest from the Magpies, with Boro looking to field bids in the region of £15m.

The player had an excellent 2017/18 season for Middlesbrough, scoring five goals and assisting 12 times, helping the club reach the play-offs before ultimately losing out to Aston Villa.

Getting his football education at Barcelona before moving to English football, the player is still just 22 years of age, so has plenty of potential to improve, especially under an excellent manager like Rafa Benitez.

However, his lack of end product in the Premier League in 2016/17 was notable.

Newcastle fans are unsure about his potential arrival as a result, with almost half of respondents to a poll we published earlier this week believing that the club should avoid trying to sign him.

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You can see the full results below…

Leeds fans absolutely love Pontus Jansson’s latest comments, after the big Swede reaffirmed his desire to stay and fight for the club.

Leeds fans were annoyed recently when Jansson seemed to hint at an exit from the club, but it seems the latest reports on his comments are not reliable.

The towering defender, who took some considerable stick for his performances this season, has defended himself on his official Instagram page, claiming his comments were wrongly translated and taken out of context.

“When people use Google translate to paint a picture of me, that’s just ridiculous,” the 27 year-old said.

“Would never stand and talk bad about my club, you changed my life.”

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Jansson was brilliant in his first season at Elland Road, but the departure of Kyle Bartley and an injury to Luke Ayling severely affected his form.

Despite taking plenty of criticism for his performances on the pitch, his passion certainly can’t be questioned, and fans are impressed by his courage to speak up and defend himself.

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If anything, Jansson’s comments on needing to see ambition from the club actually echo the thoughts of many fans, so it’s no surprise they’re backing him on this one.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

West Ham fans have been discussing a summer swoop for Bruno Fernandes, as the Portugal midfielder is expected to terminate his contract with Sporting CP.

There could be multiple top quality players on the market for free this summer, after a gang of fans attacking first team players at Sporting CP last month.

Bruno Fernandes, Bas Dost, Gelson Martins and William Carvalho are all expected to follow Rui Patricio’s lead and end their contract with the club, meaning it could essentially be a bidding war to see who can offer them the most wages and playing time.

West Ham will need to sign a creative attacker this summer after the loss of Maunel Lanzini to a knee injury, and one gets the feeling Lazio’s Felipe Anderson won’t be enough on his own.

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Signing both Anderson and Fernandes would make a huge difference for the Hammers, and fans are heavily in favour of a summer swoop for the Portuguese playmaker.

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His World Cup debut against Spain last week wasn’t particularly impressive, but the 23 year-old grabbed an incredible 16 goals and 20 assists in all competitions last season, and would be the perfect Lanzini replacement.

You can find the full poll results down below…