Nico Paz Asked Real Madrid to Stay in Italy. They Said Yes for €60 Million.

The Nico Paz saga has a final answer, and it’s not the one Madridistas might have expected. Real Madrid confirmed Saturday that the 21-year-old Argentine midfielder will remain with Como for the 2026-2027 season on a permanent basis. The deal comes at Paz’s own request.

The official statement from the club reads: “Real Madrid C. F., Como 1907 and Nico Paz have reached an agreement for the player to remain with the Italian club during the 2026-2027 season. This agreement, made at the request of the player himself, also provides that Real Madrid retains a unilateral buy-back option on Nico Paz’s registration rights for the 2027-2028 season.”

Paz exploded onto the Serie A scene under Cesc Fàbregas, looking like a player years beyond his age. He became the heartbeat of Como’s midfield, creating chances and scoring goals with a composure that caught the attention of top clubs across Europe. Now Como is headed to the Champions League, and Paz wants to be part of that ride.

The numbers that matter

Real Madrid isn’t walking away empty-handed. The reported fee is around €60 million. That’s a massive return for a player who came through their academy and made just a handful of senior appearances. But the real kicker is the buy-back clause. Madrid kept a unilateral option for the 2027-2028 season, reportedly set at €80 million. So if Paz keeps developing the way he has been, Los Blancos can bring him back for a pre-agreed price. If he stalls or gets hurt, they walk away having pocketed €60 million.

Basically, Madrid gets paid now and keeps the right to say “gimme that” later. Hard to argue with that from a business standpoint.

Paz is already preparing for life in the Champions League with Como. That’s a sentence nobody would have written two years ago. Fàbregas turned a newly promoted side into a European contender, and Paz was a huge part of the transformation. The kid sees a path to major minutes in a top competition, and he’d rather chase that than sit in Madrid’s reserve system waiting for a midfield spot that might never open up.

What comes next

For Real Madrid, this is a clean hedge. They get a huge infusion of cash, which can go toward other targets. And they keep a key on Paz’s future without having to carry his wages or development risk right now. For Paz, he gets to be the man at a club that believes in him. For Como, they secure a superstar talent for Champions League battles but with a ticking clock — because Madrid can pull him back in 2027.

It’s the kind of deal that looks good for everyone in the moment. In two years, we’ll see who got the better end.