Real Madrid might bring back Nico Paz next season. They must bring him back, and they most likely will. He is too good a player with an even better price for Real Madrid to let go.
Even though Madrid are destined to face tough competition for the Argentine boy’s signature, there is no hurdle in terms of external competition that should halt this pursuit. Los Blancos have the upper hand.
And when the Spanish side brings Paz back, there will be clear winners and losers. It is not as if he will fit seamlessly. There will be changes, but they will be made to suit him, for he is the kind of player to build a team around.
3 winners if Real Madrid re-signs Nico Paz
Here is a list of the biggest winners and losers who will be affected if Real Madrid re-sign Nico Paz at the end of this season
Vinicius Jr
From the attacking unit, I think Vinicius will be the biggest beneficiary of this deal. Nico Paz is the kind of player who understands spaces and creates them if there are none. He operates between the horizontal defense and plays clever and early vertical passes.
Paz is a comfortable hoarder of the ball who holds it just long enough to lure the defender out of line and inside toward him, then releases the ball quickly into space.
We have learned from all the brilliant seasons that Vinicius has had that his pace helps him tap these passes with great efficiency, whether on the wing or directly in front of goal. He almost always converts such passes into goals. With all the scoring difficulties he's facing, Vinicius can really capitalize on this one to reverse his adverse situation.
Mbappe could benefit too, but he is already profiting from a similar profile in Arda Guler, who plays through the middle. Paz often pivots to the sides, which will connect him more with Vinicius than Mbappe, assuming the Brazilian and the Frenchman retain their positions next season.
Arda Guler
Right now, he is the catch-all creative outlet whenever he is on the pitch. For lack of a connector, Guler is forced to fall deeper than his natural zone, which demands additional coverage from him. He is pushed to engineer a connection from the start of the buildup, which dilutes his specialization.
The Turkish star is the only midfielder who benefits from the possible return of Nico Paz. Guler is having the best season of his life, but with certain reservations. He is good, but he has too much on his plate.
His real value is extracted from the pockets on the right, just before the forward unit, at the edge of the final third, where he can combine with runners and disguise his artistry.
With Paz arriving, he will have a counterpart occupying central pockets, meaning Guler will not have to initiate every buildup himself. This frees him to engage more with the forwards than the defensive line. He will face the goal more often and perhaps score more. Paz will absorb the responsibilities Guler is currently forced to take on due to a lack of options.
Brahim Diaz
Brahim does not yet have a defined role. Xabi does not know his best position even though it is clear he does not function well in the central roles he is constantly pushed into.
Many times, later in the game, he is substituted in place of a tired central midfielder, but that position suffers as a result. Brahim allows too many leakages in a linking role. He is simply not made for it.
His abilities are best exploited when he receives the ball facing a defender, where he can use his explosive spurts to create chances for himself or those around him.
This is where Paz can be put to use. With a connector like him in the half-line spaces, Brahim will no longer be required to operate as a pseudo midfielder.
Such a shift can significantly improve his performance, reliability, and value as a fresh option in the attacking third.
He will have more freedom to work in wide pockets and wait for cleaner deliveries rather than crowded interiors. The managerial temptation to use Brahim as a utility fix, even a poor one, will disappear.
2 losers if Real Madrid re-signs Nico Paz
Dani Ceballos
Ceballos is virtually out of favor with Xabi Alonso. He has not found his footing in the already crowded midfield, and with the arrival of another top-class creator, it will be the final indication for the Spaniard to leave for good.
What is even more threatening than Paz simply being another addition is that the youngster offers the same role Ceballos did in his younger days but can no longer provide with consistency or promise.
In that sense, Ceballos brings nothing new for Xabi to consider for minutes. If Xabi needs a penetrative creator who projects passes with bursts of power, he will not prefer a player who is rusty and below par over a young, energetic option who does the same job with more precision and quality.
Mario Martin
Mario Martin is one of the brightest La Fabrica graduates with the potential to become as prominent a name as Nico Paz. Martin is a defensive midfielder who is currently on loan at Getafe, with his term expiring at the end of the season.
Real Madrid see their future in Martin. He is a modern definition of a clean and composed defensive midfielder with certain creative traits. Although his profile is different from Paz’s, the latter’s arrival will still adversely affect the future Martin envisions.
Martin’s path to the first team depends on space, which is scarce, and another slot will be taken by Paz. It also depends on rotational opportunities in the interior roles. Minutes that could have gone to Martin as a rotational interior or emergency pivot will be redirected to Paz in hybrid roles.
Furthermore, the club will not risk repeating the Arda Guler mistake by benching Paz in his early years. Paz has matured enough to break into the starting eleven immediately, and that will limit the likelihood of another academy midfielder joining the first team.