One of the major knocks many have on Real Madrid is that they don't have a very good history of developing youth talent from their academy and promoting them to the first team squad. When you look at the players that come out of other teams ' academies and compare them with Real Madrid's, its almost night and day.
Many of the academy players from the academy never find their footing in the first team and are shipped off elsewhere, without being given a proper chance to display their skills.
One academy player, however, who has all the potential in the world to be a key figure in the first team squad but is currently playing elsewhere, is Nico Paz. The Argentine is currently playing at Como and has been a shining star in Serie A since joining.
He joined last summer for a fee of only €6 million and has become quite the player, attracting attention from a number of top teams across Europe. Tottenham launched a bid of €70 million for the player, although that bid was rejected by the Italian club.
As part of the deal for his sale to Como, Real Madrid has a €9 million buy-back clause and retains 50% of the player's rights. His standout performances have made many question whether or not Real Madrid should bring the youngster back next summer. Let's look at a few positives and negatives.
Why shouldn't Real Madrid bring back Nico Paz in 2026?
As mentioned earlier, Paz has had a fantastic time in Serie A. The youngster recorded six goals and eight assists last season and has picked up right where he left off, bagging a goal, an assist, and man of the match in Como's league opener.
The Argentine is a player who would fit perfectly in Xabi Alonso's system. He's creative on the ball, can pick out a pass from anywhere on the pitch, and will put in the hard defensive work required in the midfield, much like a Jude Bellingham-type player.
Given he'll only be 21 years old next summer, and available to be brought back for as little as €9 million, it seems like a no-brainer that Los Blancos will bring him back, but do they need him?
The Real Madrid midfield is already overloaded with depth with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Fede Valverde, and Franco Mastantuono it would be tough for Paz to get consistent minutes. Although it seems Dani Ceballos is on his way out this summer, Real don't necessarily need to fill his place by bringing Nico Paz back, as it would result in him being sat on the bench.
While all Real Madrid fans can agree that Nico Paz is the best talent to come out of Castilla in a long time, bringing him back may not be in the best interest of both the player and the club.