Nico Paz refuses to leave Como and turns down Real Madrid this summer

Nico Paz will not return to Real Madrid this summer. According to AS, the 21-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder has informed Madrid’s executives of his desire to stay at Como for next season, rebuffing the club that developed him despite the existence of a buyback clause in his contract.

A Serie A revelation under Cesc Fàbregas, Nico Paz was one of the key architects of Como’s historic qualification for the Ligue des Champions. In 40 appearances this season, he scored 13 goals and provided 8 assists, figures that give him a market value of 80 million euros on Transfermarkt.

It is precisely this rise in form that motivates his choice. The player wants to be assured of substantial playing time and a central role in his team — two guarantees that Real Madrid, undergoing a full rebuild under José Mourinho, is unable to provide him. The arrival of Marc Cucurella and advanced negotiations for Bernardo Silva illustrate the ambition of the Merengue club, but also the congestion of a squad where competition will be fierce.

Paz’s decision does not definitively close the door to a return to the Casa Blanca. Madrid retains a clause allowing it to recover the player for just 10 million euros on 30 June 2027. A pittance compared to his current value, which suggests that the Merengue could simply choose to wait rather than force the hand of a player whose progression speaks for itself.