Report: Chelsea close to signing Paulinho

A report in Brazil has claimed that Chelsea are close to securing the services of Paulinho from London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The 25-year-old only joined Spurs last summer and he has gone on to make 35 appearances in all competitions.

His form has alerted the Blues, who have held initial positive discussions with officials from Tottenham and the midfielder's agent Giuliano Bertolucci, according to Lancenet.

Bertolucci was also involved in the negotiations that saw the Brazilian trio of David Luiz, Ramires and Oscar sign on at Stamford Bridge in recent years.

Real Madrid and AC Milan are both said to be monitoring Paulinho's situation closely, but the report added that the Brazilian international is keen on a switch to Chelsea.