Real Madrid are one center back away from completing a full set of four new defenders for manager Jose Mourinho, and their next task will be adding to the midfield beyond just taking a free agent flier on Portuguese veteran Bernardo Silva, who is a personal favorite and request of Mou's.
Mateus Fernandes, Enzo Fernandez, and even World Cup breakout star Ayyoub Bouaddi are on the radar for Real as potential midfield signings this summer, but the future of Como standout Nico Paz remains uncertain.
There are a lot of conflicting reports about Paz. Some say Real Madrid want him back, some say Mourinho already told him he does not count on him, and some even say that Real want to sell him permanently for 60 million euros.
Real Madrid have an easy decision here
Como clearly want to keep Paz, but it is unclear if they want to buy him permanently or just stick with another year of the best player in Serie A on loan after he helped carry them to a historic Champions League qualification.
Fabrizio Romano is the only transfer journalist who has been providing real clarity on the Paz situation without mixed reports. In his latest update on the Argentinian international's transfer situation, Fab said that Real Madrid and Como are now "set to meet" next week to formally hash out the discussions. Romano states while Paz still "prefers to stay" at Como, Real Madrid do indeed hold all the cards here. The key, per Romano, is that Real want to restructure the deal while Como want the same conditions.
At this point, it makes a lot more sense for Nico Paz to stay at Como for at least one more season rather than head back to Real Madrid. Jose Mourinho does not have a clear plan for him yet, and Paz will get to experience the thrill of being a leader for a team in the Champions League.
It makes a lot more sense for Paz to stay at Como, too, rather than Real Madrid selling to an even bigger club like an Arsenal or an Inter Milan where Paz could really hurt them in the future. They can instead kick the can down the road on their decision and keep him at Como.
As for the conditions of the deal, Real Madrid and Como will have to compromise next week, but that may be all there is to deciding Paz's short term future in 2026.
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