Fekir, Bale & Neymar: 10 names set to dominate this summer's gossip columns

REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

Every year it's the same.

From May to September, there are ever-presents of the gossip columns: Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008 and 2009, Gareth Bale in 2013, Paul Pogba in 2016 and Neymar most recently.

There's a whole month of glorious football taking place in Russia, but that will provide little distraction for those who like to fantasise about the next exotic continental superpower that will finally - actually, seriously, this time - be the one to transform their club and take them forward.

If anything, eye-catching performances at the World Cup would simply accelerate the gossip merchants.

By September you'll be happy to never hear these ten names again.