Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly set their sights on Argentinian prodigy Nico Paz, but they may need to fork out a hefty £60million to secure his services. Paz joined Serie A side Como from Real Madrid last summer and quickly caught the eye under the guidance of manager Cesc Fabregas.
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder scored six goals and set up nine more in 35 league appearances, playing a key role in helping the newly promoted side secure a respectable 10th-place finish. Spurs were already in the market for a new playmaker even before James Maddison's unfortunate ACL injury, which will sideline him for the majority of the upcoming season. However, securing Paz's signature will likely require Spurs to pay significantly more than his current release clause.
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Como are reportedly holding out for a fee in the region of £60m for Paz. This would represent a staggering profit on the £5.2 million they paid for him just last summer.
Italian media had previously suggested that Como had rejected a £35m offer from Spurs. However, the Athletic has reported that the club deny making an offer, while Como do not want to sell their prize asset.
Another hurdle for Spurs is Real Madrid, who retained a buy-back clause in Paz's contract when he left for Italy. Xabi Alonso's team opted not to trigger their £6.9m (€8m) clause this summer, but the price will rise to £7.8m (€9m) next summer and further increase to £8.6m (€10m) in 2027.
Spurs' pursuit of Nico Paz could be further complicated by Real Madrid's reported 50 per cent sell-on clause and their right to match any offers for the former academy star, potentially thwarting Tottenham's summer transfer plans.
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank is eager to bolster his attacking options following Son Heung-min's departure to LAFC, James Maddison's injury woes, and Dejan Kulusevski's stint on the sidelines. Spurs have been scouring the market for a creative No.10, having missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.
Despite being early in his professional career, Paz has already earned high praise from Lionel Messi. On his international debut, Paz set up Messi for a goal in Argentina's 6-0 thrashing of Bolivia.
"Nico Paz has an incredible mindset, and that's why he's where he is," Messi said. "Nico has a lot of quality and understands the game perfectly. He has an incredible mindset, and he's with Cesc Fabregas as coach, who is my friend and will help him grow a lot."
Spurs are prioritising signing an attacking midfielder and another centre-back. The North London club have already secured Mohammed Kudus from West Ham and finalised a loan deal for Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha this summer. Additionally, former loanees Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso have joined Spurs permanently.
The team concluded their pre-season with a 4-0 defeat by Bayern Munich, which was not the ideal preparation for their UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG on Wednesday. Frank conceded that in light of Son's departure to LAFC, the club is open to the idea of recruiting a new forward.
"Sonny was a key player for 10 seasons. He has left the club. We have both good young players in Mathys [Tel] and Wilson [Odobert] and they are really promising and can perform," Frank said. "Brennan [Johnson] can also play that side. As I said, we are in the market. If we think we can find the right one, one who can improve the team, then he will be signed. If we can't, then not."