Chelsea and Tottenham are both circling Nico Paz, the 21-year-old from Como, and it’s shaping up to be an intriguing race. Spurs’ €70m offer in the summer had to see the face of rejection. So for now, he stays in Italy, though the buzz isn’t going away anytime soon with Real Madrid in the mix too.

That is as per Caught Offside. Xabi Alonso’s side hold a buyback clause that lets them bring him back for around €8-10m at the end of the season. That makes the situation complicated because if Madrid exercise it, Spurs won’t be able to make a move. Right now, everyone at Tottenham knows that it’s a waiting game, but they like what they see from him.

Paz is technically gifted and can operate in tight spaces, which suits the style Thomas Frank wants to develop at Spurs. He has the vision to pick out passes, can create chances from deep, and is comfortable rotating across midfield positions. Tottenham see him as the kind of player who could add creativity to the team without needing a full season to adapt.

At the same time, Chelsea see the same potential. They need more midfield creativity, and Paz could provide...