With the wait for the football season to return continuing as uncertainty grows, fans are beginning to wonder what the summer will look like when it comes to transfers and player signings.
Of course, in modern football, transfers go way beyond the interest of your club alone. There will no doubt be plenty of fans will be backing their predictions on sites like betsafe.com/en/, with odds on a range of markets like deadline day transfers, next club and even next permanent manager. Current markets include the next clubs for Jack Grealish, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Jadon Sancho and of course Paul Pogba.
But one market that's sure to spark interest in the coming months concerns the future of Gareth Bale...
Madrid and Zidane playing games
It's easy to forget Gareth Bale was once the most sought-after player in the world, becoming the world's most expensive signing at the time in January 2016 at £85 million. He lived up to his price too, helping Madrid to four Champions League trophies and a La Liga title in his time at the club.In the last couple of years, however, relations between the Welsh forward and Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane have soured, and he has only managed to feature a total of 14 times for Los Blancos this season. Zidane has made various comments in press conferences that seem to put the Welsh winger's future in doubt.
Following a botched move to China last summer, it seems he is destined to move away from Madrid when the season ends, though it may not be as simple as this. His astronomical £350,000-a-week salary is a turn off for many clubs, especially as he is no longer a young player with bags of potential.
There is also the fact that reports suggest Bale and his family are happy in Madrid and are reluctant on a move away, meaning that the Welsh international fulfilling the rest of his contract - which runs to 2022 - could be possible.
Premier League return
Rumours continue to swirl that Bale could be allowed to go on a free this summer if Real see fit, so a return to the Premier League may be on the cards if a club could meet his demands.Tottenham is one of the favourites to gain Bale's signature if this does come to fruition, as the Welshman was, of course, a star there before moving to Spain. His return could be the talismanic fit needed to rejuvenate Jose Mourinho's new-look Spurs, though many believe it would have to be sanctioned by current club captain Harry Kane leaving the London club for big money.
Another club plotting an unexpected bid for his signature is Everton, who look to start a new era under Carlo Ancelotti after his arrival this season. The Italian, who worked with Bale while he managed Madrid from 2013 to 2015 and could be the key to swaying the 30-year-old to join the Merseyside Toffees.
While a Premier League return would excite a lot of fans, Bale is still a world-class player and come summer will no doubt have many offers put to him by clubs from all over the world. With the likes of LA Galaxy, Inter Milan and Jiangsu Suning also keeping an eye on him, it may ultimately be up to Bale himself as to where he plays his football next season.
