Gossip: Chelsea 'bid £55m for Verratti', Dier, Walker and Rose 'want to quit Tottenham'

Last time Chelsea won the championship, they were absolutely rubbish afterwards. And the safest way to ensure that doesn’t happen again (aside from sending the manager on pre-season sexism awareness course) is to spend an extraordinary amount of money on new players who aren’t rubbish.

That, therefore, is Roman Abramovich’s summer masterplan – and it begins, reportedly, with Marco Verratti.

The Sun says the Blues have launched a £55m bid for the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, who Antonio Conte is “desperately trying to persuade” to move to Stamford Bridge. But the 24-year-old is unfortunately “proving harder to sign than anticipated”.

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Although PSG are apparently willing to let him leave, Verratti has told the Ligue 1 side he wants to stay in Paris. To be fair some things are just better over there, such as the quality of bread.

Last time Tottenham almost won the championship, they were even better afterwards. But the biggest risk to that happening again is if they sell loads of their players who aren’t rubbish.

This nightmare scenario is quite plausible, according to the Sun, which says Eric Dier, Kyle Walker and Danny Rose all “want to quit” White Hart Lane amid interest from Manchesters United and City.

The sticking point appears to be wages, which the Spurs trio could earn a lot more of by leaving north London (namely, double the £65,000-a-week they currently receive). The tabloid suggests that Dier’s departure could also hasten the exit of his “best pal” Dele Alli, on whom he is a “positive, steadying influence”.

Arsenal and Karim Benzema have both experienced difficult seasons in many ways, but reassuringly they are still being linked with each other. The Mirror says Arsene Wenger will continue his long-running fight to lure the French striker to the Emirates this summer, along with his Real Madrid team-mate Danilo.

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However, Wenger’s chances of holding on to Alexis Sanchez are looking bleak, with the Mail reporting that the Chilean is demanding “Champions League football and wages of £300,000 a week”, neither of which he is likely to get at the Emirates.

Most of the teams already mentioned in this column want to sign Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland, according to the Star, which claims Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal will engage in a summer “bidding war” for the 24-year-old who spent the vast majority of this season injured.

Elsewhere, Bournemouth are set to offer 34-year-old Sunderland striker a three-year contract worth £115,000 a week to lure him to the south coast (Sun), Monaco £70m-rated midfielder Bernardo Silva says he dreams of playing for a bigger club (Metro) and Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan are all battling to sign Moussa Sissoko (Star). Say what you like about the Tottenham midfielder, but no one has better taste in agents.