Chelsea have supposedly entered the race to capture a £69.8m-rated playmaker, whom they will attempt to beat Real Madrid to an 'ambitious' move to.
The Blues had to make do without both of their recognised number 10s against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, where Enzo Maresca's 10 men slumped to a disappointing 3-1 Premier League defeat.
Cole Palmer was absent against the Seagulls on account of his long-standing groin problem, which could now rule him out for up to three weeks, but there is hope that he will not require surgery.
Palmer's only real alternative in the number 10 role is Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte, who could not face his parent club at the weekend but has now beentipped to start against Benfica in Tuesday's Champions League clash.
While Chelsea boss Maresca is not short of wide options in attack, he lacks the same amount of depth centrally, something that he is supposedly looking to his homeland to rectify.
Chelsea plot 'ambitious' move to beat Real Madrid to Nico Paz
Como's Nico Paz pictured on November 10, 2024
According to CaughtOffside, the Blues are now prepared to battle Real Madrid for the signature of 21-year-old Como starlet Nico Paz, who has gone from strength to strength in Serie A since leaving the Bernabeu.
Paz was sold to Cesc Fabregas's side for just €6m (£5.2m) in 2024 after making just eight appearances for Real Madrid, and he quickly repaid Como's faith in him with 15 goal contributions in his debut Serie A campaign, six of his own and nine assists.
The 2004-born talent has also made a wonderful start to the 2025-26 top-flight season, scoring three goals and setting up three more in five appearances and attracting glances from some of Europe's big guns in the process.
A return to Real Madrid has been mooted for some time, as Los Blancos agreed on a cheap buyback clause when they sold Paz to Como; that option ranges from €9m (£7.9m) to €11m (£9.6m) between now and the summer of 2027.
However, if the 15-time European champions pass up their opportunity to re-sign the 21-year-old, Como would supposedly be after €80m (£69.8m) to sell him in 2026, as his contract runs for another three seasons.
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Como's Nico Paz on January 20, 2025
Real Madrid activating Paz's nominal buyback clause appears to be a no-brainer for them, but it remains to be seen whether the Argentina international would also give the green light to a return to the Spanish capital.
Xabi Alonso currently has Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz capable of playing just off the striker, so Paz may not be guaranteed the minutes he craves in the famous white jersey.
At the same time, Como are understandably looking to recoup the most amount of money they can for the youngster, and as a result, there could be a 'catch' to any potential deal for Real or Chelsea.
The report adds that the Serie A side want to agree a new contract with Paz that would see his release clause removed, giving Como the upper hand in negotiations with interested parties.
Chelsea's London rivals Tottenham Hotspur allegedly had a bid rejected for Paz during the summer transfer window, and the Lilywhites instead signed Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig after losing out on Eberechi Eze to Arsenal.
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