NIco Paz (foto: Getty Images)
Real Madrid are set to trigger their buy-back clause for Nicolás Paz after a breakout season at Como, with Xabi Alonso keen to include him in the squad for the Club World Cup.
Real Madrid are planning to re-sign 20-year-old attacking midfielder Nicolás Paz after his breakout campaign with Como in Serie A, where he scored six goals and added nine assists in 34 appearances.
Paz left Madrid last summer in search of first-team football, but the club inserted a buy-back clause — and it's about to pay off. His current market value is estimated at €35 million, but Madrid can bring him back for just €8 million this summer. The clause increases to €9 million next summer.
Incoming head coach Xabi Alonso is believed to have specifically requested Paz's return, impressed by the Argentine-born Spain youth international’s creativity, consistency, and versatility in Como’s midfield. Alonso reportedly wants Paz involved with the senior squad for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, which will begin in mid-June.
Real Madrid have used similar buy-back tactics before with success. Dani Carvajal is the most notable example — sold to Bayer Leverkusen in 2012 and brought back a year later for €6.5 million, becoming a decade-long mainstay at right-back.
Other returns, such as Álvaro Morata and Mariano Díaz, were less successful on the pitch but still yielded financial profit for the club.
Alongside Paz, Madrid are planning two more reinforcements for their Club World Cup squad. The arrival of **Dean Huijsen** has already been agreed, and the club is also pushing to sign **Trent Alexander-Arnold** from Liverpool before his contract expires in 2025.
Bringing back Paz for a fraction of his market value would represent a major win for Madrid’s long-term planning — and an exciting addition to Alonso’s evolving team.