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What's the story?
Premier League club Chelsea have joined rivals Manchester United in the race to sign Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale according to English media outlet Metro.
The Blues are prepared to rival Manchester United's bid for the Welsh international if the report is to be believed.
In case you didn't know...
Bale joined the Los Blancos from Tottenham Hotspur for an astronomical fee of about £90 million in 2013. The 28-year-old reportedly snubbed a move to Old Trafford to sign for Real Madrid that year.
Bale has scored 71 goals and assisted 56 for the 12-time European champions since his arrival in 2013. The former Southampton player also played crucial roles in the team's three UEFA Champions League triumphs and one La Liga victory since he joined the Spanish giants.
However, the Welshman has spent a majority of the past 18 months on the sidelines due to various injuries and could be on his way out of the Santiago Bernabeu next summer.
The heart of the matter
Manchester United, who were rejected by Bale before he joined Real Madrid, have been heavily linked with the player for some time now and their English rivals Chelsea have joined the race to sign the Welshman as well.
While Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte will be trying to persuade the star winger to join their respective teams, Real Madrid will be looking to get back most of the money they paid for Bale in 2013.
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Author's take
Bale has been going through a torrid spell of late, with injuries ruining his stint at Real Madrid. Even though the ex-Tottenham star has claimed various times that he wants to fight his way back into the Zinedine Zidane-managed side's starting line-up, he might be shown the door next summer.
If that is the case, Bale will be looking for a fresh start and neither of Manchester United or Chelsea is a bad option for him. It will all come down to which club is willing to pay more for his services.
