Paper Round: Gareth Bale says 'no' to Premier League return

Gareth Bale to reject Premier League offers: Gareth Bale isn't returning to the Premier League next season, reports The Mail. Despite his struggles at Real Madrid this season and several English clubs possibly willing to meet his £75 million asking price, the Welshman is going to say no to a Premier League return because he wants to stay at the Bernabeu and prove himself at the club.

Paper Round's view: That Bale still has to prove himself at Real Madrid is a bit ridiculous, seeing as he scored in the Champions League and Copa del Rey finals last season, but here we are. He's been booed and had his car kicked by fans, and blamed for the Merengues' downturn. Bale has never been one to shy away from a challenge, though, and despite both Manchester clubs reportedly interested, it would be a surprise to see him give up on Real Madrid after just two years.

- - -

Ancelotti could replace Pellegrini at City: Manchester City want Carlo Ancelotti to take over as manager if they sack Manuel Pellegrini, according to The Express. Ancelotti has no assurances over his future at Real Madrid and the Citizens would be happy to pounce. City would love Pep Guardiola, but he looks unlikely to ditch Bayern Munich, while Diego Simeone just signed a new deal with Atletico Madrid, so Ancelotti is their man.

Paper Round's view: Man City are not going to retain Pellegrini after a trophyless season that saw them struggle to keep pace with Chelsea and while Guardiola and Simeone are dream hires, neither looks realistic. Having seen Barcelona jump ahead of Real Madrid in the race for the title in Spain, Ancelotti could very well be available and he is an excellent manager who has had huge success at big clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea and AC Milan.

- - -

Juventus to step up bid for Dzeko: Juventus are set to make Edin Dzeko a priority this summer and believe they can wrest the striker away from Manchester City, according to The Sun. Dzeko has fallen down the City pecking order and now finds himself behind Wilfried Bony, but has said that he wants to stay at the club. If another club comes calling, though, things may change and Juve want to have him up top with Carlos Tevez.

Paper Round's view: Manchester City are going to have a massive shake up this summer and while that will likely include a new manager, it's tough to see Dzeko being favoured enough for the Citizens to turn down a decent bid. Juventus are the class of Italy and a regular in the Champions League, and if they're willing to pony up, it's tough to imagine Dzeko or City blocking the move. The only question is who else gets involved because Atletico Madrid have also been linked to the striker.

- - -

Liverpool want Papadopoulos: Kyriakos Papadopoulos wants to leave the Bundesliga and with Liverpool lurking, The Metro believe that the defender may find himself at Anfield next season. The 23-year-old defender has been excellent on loan at Bayer Leverkusen and they want to sign him permanently, but he has no interest. That gives Liverpool, who have scouted him for two years, the green light to get involved.

Paper Round's view: Papadopoulos is terrific and it's no wonder Bayer want to keep him. It's also no wonder that the Greece international has drawn Liverpool's eye. As for whether he actually wants to get out of the Bundesliga, only he could tell you that, but he's not German so his attachment to the league is probably minimal and the bright lights of the Premier League could be alluring. He would be a fine addition to the Liverpool defence.

- - -

Hammers unlikely to keep Song: West Ham aren't especially interested in keeping Alex Song and his £80,000-a-week wages next season, reports The Mail. The midfielder's loan deal with the Hammers expires after the season and while Song did get off to a good start to the season, his form has dipped of late and made the club question whether Song is worth such big wages. For now, it looks like he'll return to Barcelona.

Paper Round's view: Song is a good player, but he is 27 years old now so his resale value isn't going to be very high and £80,000-a-week is a ton of money for a club like West Ham. The Hammers can't afford to pay that kind of money to a player who isn't absolutely spectacular and Song is not that. In fact, his form of late hasn't even been decent. Unless Barcelona are going to subsidise his wages or Song is willing to take less money, there's no way West Ham take him on permanently.