Real Madrid are set to trigger Nico Paz’s €9m buy-back clause this summer, but the bigger part of the story is what Como do next. Fabrizio Romano says Como have until Monday to decide whether to pay €60m to keep him. If they do not act, Paz is expected to return to Real Madrid next week and go back on the market.
Como's decision window
That timeline changes the shape of the deal. Madrid can reopen the door, but Como are not simply waiting on the sidelines. They have been given a deadline and a price, and that price is far beyond the fee attached to the buy-back itself.
Paz’s season gives the valuation some logic. He scored 12 league goals and added 6 assists in Serie A for Como, and he also posted a 7.5 rating in a recent league match. Those numbers are why Inter and Premier League clubs are watching the situation rather than treating it as a straightforward return to Spain.
Como's own season has also changed the backdrop. They finished 4th in Serie A with 71 points from 38 matches, which is a strong case for keeping a player who has been central to that rise.
The regulation wrinkle
There is still a complication around any quick flip. José Félix Díaz said Real Madrid cannot buy back Nico Paz and resell him in the summer market because 12 weeks must pass until the winter market. That would rule out the simple version of the story some clubs may have hoped for.
The €9m and €60m figures can sit alongside each other for now, because they serve different parts of the same chain. Madrid are preparing to use the clause. Como then face the decision on whether Paz stays, returns, or becomes available again later in the window. Chelsea and other suitors can wait, but they cannot force the pace.
The next hard date is Monday, when Como must decide whether to move. If they do not, Paz is due back at Real Madrid next week.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →