By Tim Stannard

1) Bayern keep with German efficiency stereotype with two super signings

Merciful Zeus, Bayern Munich don’t waste much time getting things done. No company retreats, eight-month long strategy reviews, and helicopter view restructuring for this Bundesliga power house. Bayern were incredibly quick to appoint Carlo Ancelotti as manager for next season, as soon as Pep Guardiola admitted that the bright lights of the Europa League with Manchester City were too much to ignore.

And the club lederhosen had barely begun to dry out from the beer spills after the Bundesliga title celebrations last weekend before the club announced a double transfer swoop on Tuesday. Benfica’s 18-year-old international midfielder, Renato Sanches, will be joining for a fee of nearly $40 million, whilst central defender, Mats Hummels, will be leaving Borussia Dortmund after eight and a half years at the club to join up at the Allianz Arena, with the stopper almost out of contract with Bayern’s Bundesliga rivals.

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has described Renato as a “dynamic, tough and technically skillful midfielder,” and declared Hummels to be “one of the best central defenders in the world.” The move will help overcome a somewhat gloomy mood from Bayern supporters that the season ended in relative failure after a Champions League semifinal exit to Atletico Madrid.

2) Real Madrid living legends offer helpful hints to Bale and Ronaldo

With the Barcelona and Real Madrid TITLE DAY SATURDAY ON beIN SPORTS! just around the corner, there has been a bit of a rebuke from an old Real Madrid legend over two of the club’s current prime performers. Paco Gento, who spent 14 years with Real Madrid winning six European Cup titles, has said that the current incarnation of Madrid could have been more successful if two players were to remember that there was no ‘I’ in team.  "If they were to link up a little better and help each other a little more, they would win more," said Gento in a chat with ‘AS’. Find out what our Ray Hudson and Phil Schoen have to say about that on the XTRA at 10PM ET.

One piece of transfer speculation involving Real Madrid has been cruelly killed off by Juventus general manager, Giuseppe Marotta. Isco will not be moving to Turin. However, there is a chance that Alvaro Morata might move back to the Santiago Bernabeu from whence he doth come in the first place. "He will not come, we will discuss Morata with Real, but the months ahead are long,” said the Juventus big cheese.

3) West Ham face historic night as Falcao eyes return to Monaco

After a barren Monday of despair, some football has returned to the world on Tuesday with a catch-up game in the Premier League. And it is quite a biggie in more ways than one.

West Ham are hosting Manchester United. A win for the Red Devils will see United leap above Man City into fourth and the Champions League places in the EPL. However, the match will be the last ever game for West Ham United at Upton Park, with the club moving to the more spacious surroundings of London’s Olympic Stadium. “It's a special game, a very special game... it's going to be emotional and there's nothing wrong with that. If it's channeled in a good way,” says West Ham boss, Slaven Bilic. Tune into the XTRA tonight at 10PM ET for the highlights and some Upton Park memories from Ray Hudson.

Apparently, the Monaco medical staff are looking for a bit of a livelier season once this one has wrapped up. Flacao – sorry – Falcao could be making his way back to the Mediterranean tax haven after two fairly uneventful years in England. "Monaco made a big investment in me and they want some return on that. They want me back at the club for next season," said the forward on a deal that cost the Ligue Un side nearly $70 million. $70 million!

4) Roma rebuff Chelsea advances for midfield star as Juve postpone party

Antonio Conte’s soon to be Chelsea have reportedly had an offer turned down for the really hard to spell Roma and Belgium midfielder, Radja Nainggola.

Juventus have put off their official Scudetto celebrations until after their inevitable Italian Cup final win over Milan. So that means that the chance of an extra party has been missed. Juve are not thinking this through.

5) Giro d’Italia relaunches in Italian legs as Rivaldo warns fans away from Rio

But enough of such footballing fare. The Giro d’Italia is back in business on beIN SPORTS screens with the race having taken a rest day on Monday to head to the homeland of Italy for stage 4. Marcel Kittel is currently the man wearing the famous pink jersey.

Former FIFA World Player of the Year, Rivaldo, has not exactly done any favors to Brazil’s tourist board by warning potential visitors not to come to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, citing concerns over safety. "You'll be putting your life at risk here,” said the former Brazil international.