It’s once again time for our regular morning round-up and review of some of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours – and we kick off today’s digest with a story that should interest Tottenham Hotspur supporters.

According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Serie A side Como have “received and rejected” a bid worth €40m (£35m) for 20-year-old midfielder Nico Paz from Spurs as Thomas Frank’s side search for a replacement for James Maddison.

With Maddison likely to miss most of the coming season with an ACL injury sustained in pre-season, and Argentina international Paz, a product of Real Madrid’s youth academy, seems to be their primary target.

Como apparently value Paz at a massive €70m (£60m) but an offer of €60m (£52m) would at least be sufficient “to begin negotiations”. Part of the problem is that Real have an option on Paz which would allow them to collect 50% of any fee that Paz is sold for. Como are trying to buy that clause out, it’s claimed, but it makes them unlikely to sell one of their best young players for anything less than top dollar.

The 3AM Verdict:This story has come slightly out of the blue, although several major European sides have been said to be monitoring Paz, who was extremely impressive in Serie A last season. With the financial hurdles in the way, however, this is an ambitious move by Spurs, and we suspect that they’ll find a cheaper target.

Spurs & West Ham ‘establish contact’ over Aston Villa star

We’ll wrap up with a transfer tale from Old Trafford now – Sport Witness relay news from CNN Portugal which suggests that Benfica are “working to sign” Manchester United winger Antony in what is apparently a “shock” development.

Spurs also feature in our second story of the day, this time alongside local rivals West Ham United – according to Caught Offside’s sources, the two teams have both “established contact” with Aston Villa ahead of a potential move for Jacob Ramsey.

Villa are said to be asking for as much as £43m for the midfielder, and while the player is reportedly “not desperate to leave” the club, his employers will part ways if “the right offer” comes along.

Nottingham Forest are also said to be interested but their interest “might cool” now that they’ve tied Morgan Gibbs-White down to a new contract. There’s no suggestion that either Spurs or West Ham have yet made a formal offer, merely that they’ve opened discussions.

The 3AM Verdict: The Ramsey situation is definitely one to watch, especially after Maddison’s injury. Several teams are keen and Villa aren’t flush with cash, although their PSR situation isn’t as dire as it was before the recent June cut-off for last season’s accounts. There’s no clear front-runner as yet, but a move does look relatively likely.

Benfica make ‘shock’ move for Manchester United man

We’ll wrap up with a transfer tale from Old Trafford now – Sport Witness relay news from CNN Portugal which suggests that Benfica are “working to sign” Manchester United winger Antony in what is apparently a “shock” development.

Benfica have supposedly made two approaches already and are trying to negotiate a loan deal, as are Real Betis, where the unwanted Brazilian enjoyed a productive spell last season.

It’s suggested that United “may prefer to deal with Benfica” after Betis have “messed them around” over a deal over the course of the summer. The Lisbon side could also attempt to purchase a part of the player’s rights as part of the deal, it’s claimed, which may be better for United if they can’t sell him outright in the current transfer window.