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Football transfer news and rumours: 'Man Utd given huge Gareth Bale boost as Real Madrid prepare to sell winger to fund Kylian Mbappe deal'
Two huge summer deals are edging closer to completion - according to Spanish newspaper Marca - with Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane reportedly facing up to the reality that if he wants to sign Monaco wunderkind Kylian Mbappe then he will have to sell Gareth Bale.
Manchester United have coveted Bale since his Tottenham days, and were the frontrunners to sign him from Spurs in 2013 until they were pipped at the post by Real Madrid.
But four years on, Bale could finally be heading to Old Trafford after the Madrid-based daily Marca reported that Real will have to sell one of their forwards to fund a £160m deal for Mbappe.
Bale is more dispensable than fellow 'BBC' members Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, and Real believe they will be able to shift the Welshman for around £90m, which is just above the £89m that United parted with last summer to sign Paul Pogba.
The transfers could be sped up by Mbappe becoming a target for Barcelona, who reportedly made inquiries about the player on Thursday in response to confirmation of Neymar's £198m move to Paris Saint-Germain.
When pressed about signing his compatriot Mbappe, Zidane has repeatedly said: "by August 31, everything can happen."
Watch this space.
Elsewhere, Diego Costa will look to force his way out of Chelsea by handing in a transfer request. In quotes translated by ESPN, Costa's lawyer Ricardo Cardoso said: "We are going to activate all the legal mechanisms [to secure Costa's exit] and formally present a transfer request."
Tottenham meanwhile could be about to make their first summer signing, with the Mirror claiming that Mauricio Pochettino is interested in signing Genoa forward Giovanni Simeone — the 22-year-old son of the Atletico Madrid boss Diego.
Schalke's highly-rated 21-year-old attacking midfielder Max Meyer, who is out of contract next summer, is also believed to be a Tottenham target.
Across north London, Lucas Perez is on his way out of Arsenal, with Newcastle and - according to his agent - a host of foreign clubs interested in signing the forward. Arsenal's £13.5m asking price could be a stumbling block however.
On his way?
One of the least beloved Premier League players of recent years could be about to take his leave, with Tottenham's Moussa Sissoko linked with a loan move to Turkish side Trabzonspor.