Two Premier League clubs have reportedly joined the race to sign free agent Gareth Bale during the summer transfer window.
The 32-year-old will officially leave Real Madrid after nine years when his contract expires on June 30, and he is on the lookout for a new club in the buildup to the winter World Cup in Qatar.
Wales will compete at the World Cup for the first time since 1958, and Bale has stated his desire to join a club in order to keep up his fitness before potentially retiring after the showpiece event.
Boyhood club Cardiff City have previously been linked with an ambitious move for the five-time Champions League winner, but The Guardian claims that they could now face Premier League competition.
Aston Villa and Newcastle United are both thought to be considering a move for the winger, while Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with an interest in their former player.
Bale spent the 2020-21 campaign on loan at Spurs, having previously scored 55 goals in 203 appearances for the club between 2007 and 2013.
Another former Real Madrid winger is also available on a free transfer this summer, with Angel di Maria leaving Paris Saint-Germain after seven years in the French capital.
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Juventus are understood to be leading the race for his signature, but the Argentine is in no rush to decide his future, with reports suggesting that he is waiting for Barcelona to make their move.
Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri is keen to wrap up a deal for 34-year-old as quickly as possible, though, and transfer expert Gianluca di Marzio claims that the Italian giants have now improved their bid for him.
Di Maria reportedly has a one-year contract on the table with the option for a further season on top of that, although the former Manchester United man is yet to give an answer as to his intentions.
In the Premier League, former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has urged Mikel Arteta to move for Southampton's James Ward-Prowse.
The England international has been linked with a move away from St Mary's this summer following a campaign which saw him score 11 goals and create eight more across all competitions in 2021-22.
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West Ham United are understood to be leading the race for his signature, but Merson believes that Arsenal should be moving for the 27-year-old.
"Arsenal cannot allow West Ham to buy James Ward-Prowse. I think he is a great signing for whoever gets him. I think he is one of the best passers of the ball in England," Merson wrote in his column for the Daily Star.
"Him and Trent Alexander-Arnold see things few other English players do and they can spray it around the pitch because they have such a good range of passing. I don't understand why Arsenal are not pulling out all the stops to try and take James Ward-Prowse from Southampton."
Arsenal are reportedly closing in on a deal for Gabriel Jesus, while Ajax's Lisandro Martinez is also on their radar and Fabio Vieira has already agreed terms.
Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Ryan Giles could be on his way out of the club on loan for the seventh time, with Middlesbrough reportedly interested in taking him on a temporary basis.
The 22-year-old has only made one senior appearance for Wolves, spending the vast majority of his Molineux career out on loan, including spells with Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers last season.
Giles registered 10 assists in 32 Championship appearances over the two spells, and Football Insider claims that his performances in those games have convinced Middlesbrough to become the latest club to take him on loan.
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Boro boss Chris Wilder is reportedly keen for Giles to play as a left wing-back in his 3-5-2 system next season, while Wolves are open to sending him out on loan again given he is unlikely to break into Bruno Lage's starting XI.
Aston Villa's Trezeguet could be another departing Premier League player, with Trabzonspor keen to sign the 27-year-old this summer.
Trezeguet impressed on loan in the Turkish Super Lig last season, scoring six goals and registering four assists in 13 appearances for Istanbul Basaksehir during the second half of the campaign.
The Egypt international only has one year remaining on his contract at Villa Park, and Steven Gerrard's side are keen to cash in on him this summer rather than losing him for nothing next year.
Villa are expected to be open to bids of as little as £3m, which the Daily Mail claims has alerted new Turkish champions Trabzonspor.
Bertrand Traore could also be on his way from the Midlands to Turkey, with Fenerbahce reportedly interested in the 26-year-old.
Barney Corkhill
