Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City prepare summer battle for Gareth Bale

Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City are set to embroil themselves in a three way battle for Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale in the summer, according to the Daily Mail.

The winger has not had the best of seasons thus far, booed by fans for his failure to affect games amidst rising speculation about his future. The Premier League trio are closely watching the drama unfolding behind his future in Madrid and have made him his top target for a swoop in the coming season.

Valued at £75m, Bale will be a massive addition to any side who are looking to challenge for the title, with his ability to run at defenders with pace and pack an end product. Moreover, United are massive fans of the player and have previously failed in their attempt to sign the forward under David Moyes, who was willing to splash a lot of cash to prise the player away from Tottenham.

Chelsea are reportedly favourites for his signature at this point, with Jose Mourinho looking to strengthen his squad for next season after all but sealing the Premier League title for the third time in his career with Chelsea.

However, United are not far behind, with Louis van Gaal revealing that he has already set his eyes on a plethora of targets in the summer, so as to transform his side from just scrapping for a top four place to challenging the title next season.

Ultimately, the race for the forward is likely to rest on who provides the best deal, with all three clubs capable of going that extra mile to sign the Welshman. The forward has scored 19 and assisted nine in 45 appearances thus far, a good return for a player playing only his second season in the La Liga.

Madrid, should they decide to let Bale go, are likely to step up their pursuit of Marco Reus, who has been linked with a move out of Borussia Dortmund following the impending departure of manager Jurgen Klopp.