Sunday 10 January 2016 22:32, UK
It’s in Real Madrid’s long-term interest to push Gareth Bale to the forefront over Cristiano Ronaldo, according to the Sunday Supplement panel.
Bale has been the subject of transfer speculation in the past week after manager Rafa Benitez was sacked and replaced by Zinedine Zidane.
However, Bale showed no ill effects of the change in management in his first game under Zidane, overshadowing Ronaldo by netting a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Deportivo.
The Welshman, who is the world's most expensive footballer, has been in the shadow of Ronaldo since joining from Tottenham in 2013.
Sky Sports' Spanish football expert Guillem Balague said in November that this could be Ronaldo's last season at Real, which would give Bale the opportunity to be the main man in the future.
That's a theory shared by The Sun's Shaun Custis, who thinks Real Madrid should invest in the younger legs of Bale to move club into its next era.
He said: "If Zidane delivers on this idea that he wants to build everything around Bale, goodness knows what fireworks are going to come from Ronaldo. To me, you back the younger player more. It's in Real Madrid's interest to back Bale over Ronaldo.
"Zidane is one of his all-time heroes, so he wasn't going to say 'I'm not having this Zidane fella' was he? Bale loves being at Real Madrid - no matter what anyone says. He wants to play and make it work at the club. If he can, he will stay. That's where he wants to be. As long as it's working for him in the right way.
"Real Madrid is where he wants to make it. He's got unfinished business. If he and Zidane can make it work, then he will stay no matter what the temptations are."
