Are Manchester United making a move for Cristiano Ronaldo through the foxy Alex Ferguson? Is Gareth Bale on his way out of the Bernabeu? And what's this about Steven Gerrard going to Scotland? It's all happening in today's Transfer Talk
• Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is "trying to convince Cristiano Ronaldo to come back" to the club. That's the startling claim in The Sun, the paper reporting that Fergie even dined with the Portuguese preener last week after watching Real Madrid slump to a 4-3 home defeat to Schalke in the Champions League. Sources told The Sun that Ferguson, who brought Ronaldo to Old Trafford in 2003, is hopeful he can lure him back to the club to see out his career. It's alleged that Ronaldo is "disillusioned" at Madrid and may be open to a move away from the Bernabeu at the end of this season.
• And might Gareth Bale also be on his way out of the Spanish capital? The Mirror says that the former Tottenham star is prepared to leave in the summer "if the offer is right". Bale has scored just once in nine games in his second season with Real and fans have been venting their frustration at his under-par performances in recent weeks. The Mirror says it has it on good authority that Bale would like to tough it out at Real – at least for another season – but if an irresistible offer is tabled, one amenable to both him and the club, he could leave. The Mirror suggests Manchester United are the club most likely to land Bale, which, given the Ronaldo rumours, means either United are going to break the bank or the Mirror or the Sun have got their facts wrong.
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• Perhaps both red-tops are wide of the mark and it's the Daily Star that's bang on the money with their claim that United "have jumped ahead of Liverpool" in the race to sign Burnley striker Danny Ings. The 22-year-old frontman has been linked with Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle, Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Sociedad this season but the Star reports that Ings is now being courted by United. Ings is out of contract in June, which makes him doubly attractive to United boss Louis van Gaal, and it's likely that to accommodate his wages, United will send Radamel Falcao back to Monaco rather than make his loan deal permanent.
• And the Star also states that United and Tottenham are going head-to-head with Tottenham for the services of Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The 25-year-old Gabon international is valued at £30m after a string of strong performances in Germany.
• Strangest story of the weekend comes from Scotland and the news that Celtic are eyeing up Steven Gerrard on a loan deal. The Liverpool captain leaves Anfield for MLS outfit LA Galaxy in the summer but the Sunday People says Celtic are in discussions with Galaxy about the possibility of bringing the midfield veteran to Glasgow between December and March, thereby "keeping him fit before the new MLS season got underway".
