Football news, transfer rumours and gossip - Real Madrid to prioritise Harry Kane signing

With Real Madrid lacking firepower up front, Zinedine Zidane is prioritising a move for Tottenham striker Harry Kane, according to Spanish daily Sport. The England captain has admitted that he could be forced to leave his boyhood club should their continue to fail to win trophies and he would be treading a familiar path, with Luka Modric and Gareth Bale both making the move from north London to the Bernabeu in recent years. Jose Mourinho is eager to keep his star player, though, and Spurs would drive a hard bargain.

Paper Round’s view: If Tottenham continue to fail to win trophies, then Kane should certainly leave. There is no virtue in being a talisman for an underachieving side and, given Kane's pedigree in front of goal, then a move to a more successful team makes perfect sense - he could earn more, win more trophies and have a better career in every sense. Spurs look even further from challenging for trophies than they have in recent years and this move would finally earn him some medals.

With Alexis Sanchez's Manchester United career all but over and the Chilean failing to impress on loan at Inter Milan following some injury problems, West Ham are looking to bring the former Arsenal and Barcelona star in this summer. The Hammers have made contact with his agent with a view to a summer move but the potential deal remains very much in its infancy.

Paper Round’s view: This is a non-starter. After his Premier League career has stalled since leaving Arsenal for Old Trafford, Sanchez has clearly needed a move away from England and it is hard to see him playing for a club battling against relegation, nor West Ham paying his exorbitant wages.

Premier League players are set to revolt over proposed wage cuts, according to the Daily Mirror. While footballers are committed to philanthropic efforts during the coronavirus crisis, they would prefer to make direct contributions to charity themselves but feel that clubs are trying to force them into signing contracts that radically reduce their wages indefinitely, rather than for the duration of the crisis. All 20 Premier League captains have started a WhatsApp group to coordinate a united response.

Paper Round’s view: It is hard to feel sympathy for Premier League clubs on this one. Most are rich beyond their wildest dreams thanks to the television deal and are unlikely to be hit too hard by a fall in matchday revenue caused by a prolonged delay in the resumption of football and the possible completion of matches behind closed doors. This is an issue which requires a united response and constant collaboration with players, agents and the PFA.

The Sun reports that Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez are both for sale as Real Madrid look to reduce their wage bill and make room for a big-money move for a player such as Paul Pogba this summer. James has one year left on his contract at the Bernabeu, while the Welshman is tied down until 2022. Everton are keen on signing Bale, but the costs may be prohibitive, while Arsenal and Wolves are among the clubs linked with a move for the Colombian.

Paper Round’s view: Gareth Bale's fall from grace at Madrid is a curious case but despite his heroics in the 2014 and 2018 Champions League finals, it seems that his time in the Spanish capital is coming to an end. Everton, however, would be a significant step down and it would not be surprising to see him take a different tack and opt for a money-spinning move to China or a similar league. As for James, it has never quite worked out for him in Spain but he proved during his loan spell at Bayern Munich that he is a player of quality. He will be eager to prove himself.