Tottenham 'see £61m bid for midfielder turned down' as struggles continue

Tottenham have reportedly seen a £61million bid for highly-rated playmaker Nico Paz rejected as their frustrating summer in the transfer market drags on.

Spurs are scrambling for reinforcements following the long-term injuries suffered by James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, but their attempts to land a creative spark have been repeatedly thwarted.

Having already missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White and then Eberechi Eze – the latter hijacked by Arsenal at the 11th hour – chairman Daniel Levy and new boss Thomas Frank are still searching for a player capable of filling Maddison's No 10 role.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham lodged an offer worth €70m (£61m) for Paz, but Serie A side Como swiftly rejected it on Sunday evening.

Romano claims the 20-year-old – who came through Real Madrid's academy before joining Como permanently this summer – has no intention of leaving. Real also hold a €10m (£8.5m) buy-back clause that they can activate in 2026, and were ready to match Spurs’ proposal in any case.

Paz underlined his value just hours before news of Tottenham’s failed approach emerged, scoring his first goal of the new season in Como’s 2-0 win over Lazio on Sunday night. The Argentina youth international struck six times in 35 Serie A games last season as Como secured a respectable 10th-place finish.

Before moving to Italy, Paz made eight senior appearances for Real Madrid, scoring twice. His progress is being closely monitored at the Bernabeu, with the Spanish giants expected to exercise their buy-back option in the next two years.

It is the latest setback in what has become an increasingly desperate hunt for attacking midfielders. Maddison, Spurs' key creative outlet, is expected to miss most of the 2025-26 season after suffering cruciate ligament damage in pre-season, while Kulusevski's recovery from knee surgery will keep him sidelined until at least January.

Despite those blows, Tottenham have made a perfect start to the new campaign – brushing aside Burnley 3-0 at home before stunning Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad on Saturday – but Frank has been vocal about the need for reinforcements.

Mohammed Kudus has already arrived from West Ham, yet Spurs remain short of depth and continue to pursue new targets.

Manchester City winger Savinho remains firmly on their radar, with talks ongoing over a deal worth in excess of £60m, while Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche and Leicester's El Bilal Khannouss have also been considered.