AS the current season draws to a close, clubs are now beginning to plan for the new season, with some big transfers being speculated about for the summer.

Rebecca Murphy takes a look at today’s football rumours....

Real Madrid are linked with a swoop for Tottenham star Gareth Bale. The Wales international has been linked to some of Euorpe’s biggest clubs all season including Barcelona, but now it’s been rumoured they have been put off by the �40 million price-tag on the 22-year-old’s head. Man City have also been linked to Bale – Goal.com

Madrid could be in for a very busy summer as Jose Mourinho is also planning a summer switch which will see Augero, Man City’s leading scorer with 17-league goals, move to Real Madrid with the Galacticos’ striker Gonzalo Higuain to arrive at Eastlands along with �8.5 million, the Daily Mail believes.

Junior Hoilett has been a bright spark in a not so bright season for Blackburn which has caught the eye of many admiring clubs.

The impressive striker is out of contract at the end of the season and with 6 goals in 27 apperances and a great partnership formed with Yakubu which is key to Blackburn’s fight for survival; the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool have been linked to the 21-year-old, accorrding to hereisthecity.com

The Sun is reporting that Manchester City are ready to fight Spanish giants Barcelona for the signiture of Athletico Bilbao star Javi Martinez.

The 23-year-old midfielder who has hit 4 goals in 26 appearences in La Liga this season, has been admired all season by clubs such as Liverpool, but it seems that Man City are leading the race for the Premier League clubs and are perhaps the only ones who can afford the �34 million release clause Bilbao have on their star.

The Mirror are reporting that Liverpool have issued Andy Carroll with a warning to either settle down and start scoring or face being shipped out. Liverpool who are on a poor run of form at the moment are losing faith with their �35 million signing who has only scored 8 goals in 48 appearances for the club.

Aston Villa are offering Joe Cole a return to the Premier League. Cole is currently on a season long loan with Lille, but the Liverpool playmaker still has two years left on his contract. Although PSG are also interested now they are managed by former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelot,Villa are favourites as they offer a chance for Cole to reignite his career back in England. Villa are also linked with Newcastle midfielder Danny Guthrie and Fulham forward Andy Johnson – Daily Star.

PSG are also keen on offering �7 million for Newcastle’s highly rated 16-goal striker Demba Ba according to talkSPORT.

However Newcastle are hoping to entice the Senegalese international, who has been one of best players in the Premier Legaue this season after his free transfer from West Ham, to sign a new contract worth �50,000 a week.

The antics of Mario Balotelli have been widely reported all season, with the Telegraph and the Daily Mail reporting yet another incident, this time involving Yaya Toure.

A dressing room bust up after the Sunderland game may be the final straw for Mancini and the club and with Balotelli’s behaviour being linked with damaging City’s title chances, speculation that Man City may be ready to listen to offers are circulating.

On the managerial front, West Brom are set to offer Roy Hodgson, who is linked to the vacant England job, �3 million a year to keep their highly-rated manager reports the Guardian.

Staying with West Brom, the Express and Star believe the Baggies are interested in Garath McCleary the Nottingham Forrest winger.

McCleary recently made quite an impression when he scored four goals in Forrest’s 7-3 thrashing of Leeds.