Spurs in shock £51m 'bid' for Dutch superstar as Man City prepare bold West Ham raid

Let’s start our regular round up of the day’s biggest and brashest Premier League transfer rumours – one or two of which may even turn out to be true – with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur, whose name has suddenly come up in the Spanish media. That’s because they’re keen to take advantage of Barcelona’s inability to tie Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong down to a new contract and have even made a €60m (£51.3m) bid, according to Sport Witness.

Barcelona don’t really want to sell De Jong but may be forced to, given that an attempt to extend his contract has fallen flat after they asked him to take a massive pay cut. And as they’re always on the lookout for ways to raise some sorely-needed funds, they could easily be persuaded to take Spurs’ money and run.

Apparently the Dutch international is “disappointed by the current reality” at his club and would be willing to move, but there’s one caveat – he wants to sign for someone with “aspirations of winning the Champions League.” Do Spurs fit the bill? Insert all the obvious jokes here…

The 3AM Verdict: This is an interesting rumour because as good as De Jong obviously is, he doesn’t seem like an Ange Postecoglou kind of player at first glance. De Jong is a cultured passer, while the avuncular Australian tends to look for all-action, box-to-box midfielders who can contribute to a high press and force turnovers. Because of that, we’re a little sceptical of the idea that Spurs have already launched a bid, but there’s certainly a good deal to be had here if Barcelona can’t up their contract offer.

City betting on second Paquetá bid

Let’s move on to a rumour from Football Insider, who reckon that Manchester City will come back in with a second attempt to sign West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá this summer. The two clubs had agreed an £80m deal for the 26-year-old Brazilian last summer but that deal collapsed when it emerged that he had become the subject of an investigation over alleged breaches of the FA’s gambling rules.

That investigation is finally getting closer to completion and assuming the Brazilian doesn’t face a lengthy suspension then Pep Guardiola wants to return to the well and sign the former Lyon man at the next opportunity. Apparently whether David Moyes stays or goes isn’t likely to have any bearing.

The 3AM Verdict: Paquetá has all the hallmarks of a Guardiola player – good technique, strong passing, and a willingness to run himself into the ground as part of a pressing unit. One can debate his value, and it will be interesting to see if the offer is still as high as £80m, but Guardiola tends to know a good midfielder when he sees one so we’ll trust his judgement.

England legend set to leave Stamford Bridge

Finally for today’s round-up, word from Chelsea – who are planning a big summer clear-out, according to HITC, and have found another player to get rid of in order to make some room for new signings.

Raheem Sterling is the man likely to be on his way out, with the report claiming that the 29-year-old doesn’t fit in with a new vision of a youthful team. Apparently Chelsea will seek to move him on, along with ageing veteran Thiago Silva, although the article doesn’t mention any potential suitors and it’s possible that Sterling doesn’t really want to leave. He still has three years left on his contract, after all.

The 3AM Verdict: Sterling may not be putting up the kind of numbers he was at Manchester City, but his underlying stats are still good and he has eight goal contributions this season, which is hardly shabby - so it seems odd to move him on when he likely still has plenty to contribute. Lest we forget, Sterling was one of the best players in the country not so very long ago, and can surely still play at the very highest level given the right set-up and a bit of confidence. The way Chelsea are going in the transfer market, however, we wouldn't be surprised to see some player churn solely to offer some financial breathing room.