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Spanish outlet Sport have provided an update involving Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale. 

The lowdown: Bale in Madrid

Out of contract at the end of the season (Transfermarkt), it now seems inevitable that the 32-year-old will finally leave Spain this summer.

Despite being an integral part of a successful time in the history of the La Liga giants, the Welsh forward has been castigated by fans and media alike in recent years at the Bernabeu due to an ongoing battle with fitness issues.

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Having spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Tottenham – scoring 16 times and providing three assists – a fresh claim has now emerged from Spain…

The latest: Spurs keen

As per the report from Sport, Spurs, and by extension Fabio Paratici, are among the clubs plotting to offer Bale a contract should the Welshman indeed decide to continue with his career.

Hometown club Cardiff City, Newcastle United, Rangers and a move to the MLS are also cited as possible destinations for the man once hailed as ‘one of the best in the world’ by former interim Tottenham boss Ryan Mason following a hat-trick against Sheffield United.

However, it’s suggested that the 102-cap ace may yet hang up his boots should Wales fail to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

The verdict: Still got it

If there was any doubting whether the enigmatic Welshman still has the quality to perform at the elite level, a recent stunning brace for Wales in the World Cup playoff against Austria put the questions to rest.

Managing Director of Football Paratici will attempt to strengthen the squad at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer and a move for Bale, who Antonio Conte actually tried to sign whilst at Inter Milan, would be an interesting option.

Whilst a return would excite supporters, since moving to Madrid in 2013 Bale has missed an eye-watering 134 matches through injury and fitness woes. Therefore, to make this move a feasible option certain assurances would either need to be in place over fitness or it would need to come at a low financial cost.

In other news: Report makes swap deal claim as Spurs open talks! Find out more here.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has revealed he almost signed for Rangers before making the move to the Bees instead.

The Lowdown: Toney shines at Brentford

Toney made the move to Brentford from Peterborough last year for a fee of £5m, and that is looking like a snip.

After helping the London outfit earn promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history, Toney has managed two goals and two assists in six top flight games as Brentford continue to impress (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Toney admits close Ibrox shave

Speaking to Ally McCoist on talkSPORT (via Ibrox News), Toney has admitted he also made the move to Rangers. He explained:

“I was going to sign for Celtic but I was also going to sign for Rangers. So you might be happy with that.”

The Lowdown: What could have been

£25.2m-valued Toney (Transfermarkt) had proven to be an outstanding signing for Brentford since making the move there. In his last 97 matches, he has found the back of the net 61 times, while he also broke the Championship scoring record last term during Brentford’s triumphant campaign (iNews).

Rangers themselves did win the Premiership title last season and also reached the last 16 of the Europa League, so it doesn’t seem they were crying out for Toney. However, he is clearly a talented player, and would have given Steven Gerrard a possible long-term replacement should Alfredo Morelos leave.

In other news, Rangers fans are unhappy with this club update.

Aston Villa have suffered a major injury setback ahead of their Premier League clash against Brentford this afternoon.

Dean Smith’s side welcome the newly-promoted side to Villa Park as they look to register back-to-back wins in the top-flight, but will have to do so without one of their marquee summer signings.

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece revealed that Leon Bailey will once again be missing from action, with the game against the Bees on Saturday coming too soon following his hamstring issue last week.

The news is sure to come as a bitter blow to Smith as he looks to mould this new look Villa side together, especially considering the kind of electric debut he enjoyed in the defeat to Watford.

The £31.5m-rated star came off the bench to great effect against the Hornets on the opening day, marking his Premier League debut for the club by setting up John McGinn’s goal and almost sparking a late comeback.

Speaking before Villa officially confirmed the deal to sign the Jamaican, the club’s former defender Alan Hutton threw his backing behind a move for the former Bayer Leverkusen ace.

He said: “I’m so excited to see this one. I’ve heard a lot about him over the past two or three seasons. He’s obviously still very young but he’s electric, he gets people off their seats. That’s what you want in a player.

“But what’s more impressive, 15 goals and 11 assists from wide areas in the German league. That’s unbelievable. It’s the kind of consistency you want from your wingers.”

With Bailey now ruled out, Smith will have to keep the faith with Anwar El Ghazi, who of course enjoyed a fine week himself after netting against Newcastle from the spot, before bagging a brace against Barrow in the Carabao Cup second round.

While the Dutchman is in a mini streak of goal-scoring form, Bailey’s absence and the prospect of seeing their new signing make his competitive home debut for the club is sure to leave fans gutted.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on this Aston Villa transfer target…

Leeds United’s winless start to the new Premier League season continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw at struggling Newcastle United on Friday night.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side took the lead courtesy of Raphinha before Allan Saint-Maximin’s superb strike levelled things up for the Magpies.

While both sides were guilty of missing numerous opportunities – they had a combined 39 shots on goal – there was one man for Leeds who really struggled to get going offensively.

Dan James arrived on transfer deadline day from Manchester United, and after a couple of substitute appearances, he made his full Premier League debut last night against Newcastle.

But it was a game to forget for the Wales international, who was kept in check by Magpies full-back Javier Manquillo all night before he was eventually hooked just after the hour mark for Tyler Roberts.

As per Sofascore, the former United ace finished the game with a 6.5 match rating, which was by far the lowest of any Leeds player.

Both of his shots on goal failed to hit the target, his two attempted crosses didn’t find their mark, while he couldn’t get on the ball as much as he would have wanted in the first place either – in fact, his total of 31 touches and nine passes were both less than goalkeeper Illan Meslier, a real indication of just how peripheral he was.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross gave him a five, saying: “A very quiet full debut from James, who was either anonymous or nullified by Javier Manquillo when the ball did come his way.”

With Jack Harrison out of the squad yesterday, James had the perfect chance to stake his claim and show Bielsa why the Leeds boss should be starting him from the off.

Instead, the Welshman fluffed his big chance, and if things are all good with Harrison, it’s difficult to see how James’ performance warrants him getting in ahead of his teammate for Leeds’ next Premier League clash against West Ham next week.

The 23-year-old simply let his manager down against Newcastle.

Meanwhile, this Leeds star was superb vs Newcastle…

Newcastle United have interviewed former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick for the role of sporting director as a new era begins at St James’ Park under PIF.

What’s the story?

According to The Daily Mirror, the club’s new owners are keen to revamp the club from the top down, and one of the areas in which they are considering making a move for is the sporting director role.

It’s been suggested that both Rangnick, and former PSG transfer supremo, Antero Henrique, have been interviewed for the position as they look to make some big changes at St James’ Park.

Rangnick would be perfect

Aside from his work as a sporting director, Rangnick has also previously had extensive managerial experience, and that could prove to be an ideal piece of knowledge for any new man coming in looking to liaise with him on potential targets and recruitment.

The Athletic described his approach as being “Bielsa-esque” as he plays a high-pressing game that looks to dominate on the front-foot – it’s perhaps no surprise then that he is actually renowned as being the pioneer of the ‘gengenpress’ system.

As well as that, Rangnick has also been dubbed as “a professor, a scientist of football,” and the “architect” of RB Leipzig’s rise into a Champions League outfit, bringing through the likes of Timo Werner, Naby Keita and Marcel Sabitzer in his time there at the club.

What’s perhaps most telling about the kind of impact he has on European football over these past two decades is the number of high-profile coaches who point to him as being their main source of inspiration, including Jurgen Klopp.

The Liverpool boss simply said: “One of the best, if not the best German coach.”

That’s high praise from a Premier League and Champions League winning manager, and while his role would be slightly different at St James’ Park as a sporting director, it would be such a massive coup for the Magpies to bring Rangnick into the fold.

Newcastle fans would surely be delighted with the 63-year-old’s appointment.

Meanwhile, Newcastle must also get rid of this man as well as Bruce…

Liverpool could secure their ideal heir to Gini Wijnaldum this summer after being linked with a move for Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar.

What’s the story?

The Reds have been credited with an interest in the technically gifted 23-year-old throughout the current transfer window and received a boost in their pursuit of the Frenchman on Tuesday.

According to RMC Sport (as relayed by Get French Football News), multiple Lyon players could be on their way out of the Ligue 1 club as director of sport Juninho looks to resolve an attitude problem within the dressing room.

Aouar was named amongst those potentially heading for the exit door, and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should take advantage of the sudden change in circumstances, thus solving his engine room conundrum.

Heir to Gini Wijnaldum

Despite his tender years, Aouar has been around for quite a while and has already cultivated a reputation as an extremely gifted dribbler, capable of splitting open a defence with a precise pass or finishing off a flowing move with a well-placed shot.

In 172 appearances for his boyhood club, the sought-after star has scored 32 goals, laying on a further 31 assists for his teammates, but his underlying numbers are arguably just as impressive. As per WhoScored, Aouar recorded an average of 2.3 shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.5 dribbles per game last season, highlighting his outstanding ability with the ball at his feet.

Compared to Wijnaldum’s respective tallies of 0.8 shots per game, 0.6 key passes and 0.9 dribbles, Aouar appears to be a big upgrade on the Dutch international, although those figures are heavily influenced by the tactical restrictions placed upon him by Klopp.

However, the comparison does illustrate how the Lyon ace has a different skillset to Wijnaldum, meaning that his arrival on Merseyside would represent an evolution in Liverpool’s midfield options rather than being a direct replacement.

Aouar’s unique set of attributes first caught the attention of an English audience when he came up against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Champions League back in 2018, with the Spanish tactician lauding his performance after the final whistle.

“Houssem Aouar is a very good player. He is incredible,” said Guardiola.

“We talk a lot about (Tanguy) Ndombele, but Aouar is also excellent. He’s always very calm with the ball at his feet, with an excellent technical quality.”

Therefore, Liverpool’s director of football Michael Edwards must sanction a move for the £37.8m-rated maestro, plugging a Wijnaldum-shaped hole in Liverpool’s team.

In other news… Fabrizio Romano drops fresh Liverpool claim which will leave fans very worried 

West Ham failed to sign any new players in January despite a strong top-four race and Europa League challenge in a decision that could haunt them this season, however, they could make up for it this summer as they are linked with a huge chance of signing a very in-demand player.

What’s the word?

Speaking on talkSPORT, European football expert and journalist Andy Brassell, has made a huge claim on the potential of West Ham signing Darwin Nunez this summer, after showing interest previously.

Brassell said: “West Ham were very interested in signing him, but wouldn’t go up to the €60m (£50m) that Benfica wanted in winter.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up there at some point.”

Haller replacement

There is no doubt that Sebastian Haller’s departure left a big hole in West Ham’s attacking prowess and although David Moyes’ current side are achieving to a high level, especially in their Europa League run, it would benefit them massively to finally replace their former forward, and Nunez could be the perfect replacement.

The £31k-per-week gem who was hailed “electric” by Micah Richards, has been linked to a number of clubs this season with Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Newcastle United all reportedly interested in signing the striker this summer according to The Telegraph, and for good reason when you look at his output.

The 22 year old has scored 28 goals and contributed three assists in 35 appearances for his Portuguese side Benfica this season across all competitions, with goals scored against Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Ajax and Liverpool in the Champions League so far proving he is a real threat even against the biggest European teams in the world right now.

Alongside his impressive G/A, Nunez is further displaying how much of a nightmare he can be for opponents looking at his attacking statistics for Benfica in the Primeira Liga this season, with eight big chances created, 1.1 key passes per game and is successful in completing the majority of his dribbles (52%) whilst scoring every 71 minutes on average, according to SofaScore.

Moyes will need to do everything he can to tempt the Uruguayan striker especially as he is linked to so many other clubs and only gaining more attention thanks to his incredible form. The promising comments made by Brassell should surely be capitalised on by the powers at the London club.

In other news: Insider drops early West Ham team news hint ahead of Lyon, David Moyes will be buzzing

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s interest in Bournemouth’s holding midfielder Jefferson Lerma.

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Magpies want to strengthen their central midfield options in the January transfer window in a bid to stave off relegation.

The report claims that the Colombia international is a player Eddie Howe is now targeting, having signed him during his time with the Cherries.

Win the fans over

Newcastle boss Howe could win over the fans at St James’ Park, if he hasn’t already when January comes around, by axing Isaac Hayden from the team in order to sign Lerma from Bournemouth.

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The £41k-per-week Hayden has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.64 in the Premier League this season and won 51% of his duels overall. He has been dribbled past 1.4 times per game, highlighting a key issue with the former Arsenal man as he allows players to beat him far too easily in matches.

Lerma did not have this problem in his most recent season in the Premier League under Howe – in the 2019/20 campaign, he was dribbled past 0.8 times per game. He also averaged a rating of 6.82 as he won 55% of his duels and made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game.

Former Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate was effusive in his praise of the midfield destroyer, previously saying: “I don’t judge Jeff on goals. You know how I feel about Jeff. I’m his biggest fan. I think he’s unbelievable. If I can describe a six to anyone, he’s my favourite. He’s a six and he’s magnificent.

“He gives you absolutely everything every single game. Heads it, runs, tackles, passes. He’s a special player for me.

“He’s vital. You see what happened against Southampton (without him). Put Jeff in that team, it’s a different team.”

The 27-year-old has also displayed the attacking side to his game, creating 0.9 chances per match in the Championship this term, having managed 0.8 last season. Hayden, on the other hand, has created just 0.2 per game in the current campaign after managing 0.3 in the 2020/21 season, suggesting that Lerma could be an upgrade on him at both ends of the pitch.

Therefore, Howe could win the fans over by signing Lerma and improving the midfield by adding a combative, quality option to run the middle of the park alongside the likes of Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff and Miguel Almiron from January onwards.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Lascelles: Howe could strike dream NUFC deal for £9m-rated “Rolls-Royce”…

As per Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, via Sport Witness, Liverpool are interested in signing FC Porto midfielder Vitinha. 

The lowdown: Vitinha at Wolves

The Reds have been credited with an admiration of the creative ace for some time now and it appears that the interest remains.

A graduate of the Porto academy, Vitinha moved to Wolves on loan before returning to Portugal in 2021 having failed to score in 19 Premier League appearances during 2020/21.

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Now it appears that Liverpool could be set to attempt to bring the midfielder back to England…

The latest: Liverpool in pursuit

According to O Jogo, as translated by SW, the Reds are following the Portugal international ‘with a lot of attention’ ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report also cites interest from Bayern Munich and Lazio in the man recently hailed as ‘fabulous’ by manager Sérgio Conceição following a standout display in a 4-2 victory over Paços de Ferreira.

Previously, a report from the same source has claimed that Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders is personally scouting the one-cap star, who has a €40million (£33.2million) release clause.

The verdict: Get it done

Having witnessed the impact Luis Diaz has had since arriving from Porto in the January transfer window, it’s no surprise that the Jurgen Klopp and new sporting director Julian Ward would be considering adding the Colombian’s former teammate to the Anfield ranks.

So far this season Vitinha has earned an outstanding 7.54 average Sofascore rating from 25 Primeira Liga outings, which is actually better than the Diaz’s 7.47 rating prior to heading to Merseyside, whilst boasting an impressive 90% passing accuracy.

Predominantly operating from a central midfield role, the 22-year-old has scored three times and provided four assists in 40 appearances across all competitions so far this season, and it appears as though Ward, Klopp and Lijnders are growing quite fond of the Porto talent production line.

In other news: French source claims Liverpool are interested in talented youngster

Benfica are optimistic about bringing Celtic loanee Jota back to Portugal in the summer, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Celtic’s option

The Hoops brought the 22-year-old to Parkhead on deadline day on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

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Jota has been a revelation in Scotland following his Scotland switch, contributing to 14 goals in 19 games.

He recently returned to his parent club to have his hamstring injury assessed, and it seems as if the Primeira Liga giants think they can keep hold of the winger despite reports suggesting Celtic are closing in on a £6m permanent deal.

The Latest: Journalist reacts

The Daily Record shared a story Thursday, leading with a title that Jota to Celtic is now in ‘doubt’.

They then relayed comments from journalist Alex Goncalves, who claimed that there is a ‘decent chance’ of Jota staying with Benfica. He also labelled a £6m option to buy fee from the Portuguese giants as ‘an absolute travesty’.

“Benfica obviously remain keen to keep hold of João ‘Jota’ Filipe, hence why Celtic still haven’t managed to sign him permanently. It’s all still up to Jota, but Benfica would like him to return to his boyhood club.

“There’s a feeling that there’s a decent chance it’ll happen.

“Even if Jota chooses to stay at Benfica, it’s an incredibly lucky escape. The fact that Benfica included a £6m option fee for Celtic is an absolute travesty and incredibly poor management.

“Benfica have made some impressive sales over the years. This one would be atrocious.”

The Verdict: All in Jota’s hands…

As Goncalves mentions, it is all down to Jota when it comes to his next destination – if the Hoops trigger the option in the original deal, there’s not much his parent club can do.

It seems as if he is loving his football at Parkhead, too, and you’d like to think that the Hoops would be happy to guarantee him regular football in the long run and include various clauses to seal a permanent deal.

Even if a move isn’t finalised this month, Celtic still have months to get a full-time transfer in place ahead of the summer, so even though this latest update now thinks a move could be in ‘doubt’, there shouldn’t be panic amongst the Hoops hierarchy.

In other news: ‘Think that will happen soon’ – Pundit says Celtic will now sign defender after O’Riley.