Real Madrid demonstrated that selling Cristiano Ronaldo does indeed make you worse last season.

Zinedine Zidane had left before the season started, of course, but both his replacement and his replacement's replacement were sacked by mid-March.

And so, Zidane returned to oversee a summer of change at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Plenty of money has been spent so far, most of it on Eden Hazard from Chelsea, with Luka Jovic, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, and Rodrygo Goes joining the Belgian.

But when it comes to change, one huge outgoing move is regarded as just as important: the sale of Gareth Bale.

Bale is widely expected to complete a move to China in the coming days, more specifically to Jiangsu Suning.

And while that's a move that will greatly affect Real and Chinese football, it may also impact the summer of Manchester United.

That's because United are 'bracing themselves' for Real's inevitable Paul Pogba bid once Bale is finally through the door, according to the Mirror.

It's no secret that Real and Zidane like Pogba, nor that Pogba would quite like a move to Madrid.

United, though, have never looked likely to sell him and they're even less likely to do so now that the end of the window is so close.

Would they really sell their best player with a little over a week left to replace him? It depends on the fee, really, and if Pogba kicks up a fuss.

What we know for sure, though, is that this 'saga' isn't done with just yet.

It may have gone a little off the boil but Bale's move to China is set to heat things right back up.