Chelsea have made an enquiry about the future of one of European football's rising stars.placeholder image
Chelsea have made an enquiry about the future of one of European football's rising stars. | Getty Images
Chelsea are in pursuit of a bright young talent as Enzo Maresca’s side look to secure another gem
Chelsea under Todd Boehly have started to forge a reputation for hoovering up many of the top young talents across the world of football, particularly those from South America, and have begun to form the shoots of a force to be reckoned with under Enzo Maresca.
The Blues sit third in the Premier League despite a couple of inconsistent home results, with the battle for Europe wide open at present and the west London outfit stealing a march on rivals by grabbing third place with a 3-0 win over bottom side Wolves last time out. Six points behind leaders Arsenal, a title challenge is not out of the question either.
Chelsea have been linked with a latest South American wonderkid lighting up Europe, as a long list of potential suitors continues to grow.
Chelsea make approach for Como’s Nico Paz
The Blues have reportedly ‘officially enquired’ about Como’s 21-year-old Argentina midfielder Nico Paz according to Caught Offside, as Maresca’s side remain well in the race for one of the most sought-after attacking midfielders in Europe.
Chelsea have made an official enquiry about Paz’s availability, ‘recognising his soaring potential’ according to the report and holding the belief that his value could soon reach €100million.
Paz has registered 23 goal contributions in Serie A since signing for Como from Real Madrid last summer, 10 of those being goals, while he has bagged four and laid on four assists so far this campaign in 11 matches. Primarily an attacking midfielder, Paz has also played wide right and in the false 9 and has already earnt six caps for Argentina, seeing his value skyrocket to €55m according to Transfermarkt.
Real Madrid ‘hold the keys’ to Paz’s future
The greatest stumbling block if Chelsea are to secure a move for the young Argentine is the rather formidable one of Real Madrid, who continue to hold buy-back clauses for their academy graduate. This clause is believed to be as low as €9m for summer 2026, then €10m in 2027, both fees only marginally above the €6m Como paid for Paz last summer.
It is believed that Real Madrid hold first refusal over the purchase of Paz and would need to sanction any departure for the 21-year-old away from Como, which would see Los Blancos lose their current share of the player’s rights in their shared ownership structure. Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have also reportedly held an interest, with the latter seeing a £61m bid rejected over the summer, while Inter Milan are said to be preparing a €58m offer as per Caught Offside’s report. As suggested, the offer would be directed towards Real Madrid.
While it is difficult to see where Paz would fit in at the Bernabeu at present, it would still be a challenge to persuade Real to let him slip out of their grasp if they view the young man as a part of their long-term future. The fact that Como ultimately hold little of the power here makes for a unique situation, but Chelsea may test their resolve nevertheless with a bid in January. The future of Paz will no doubt continue to be a major transfer story throughout 2026.
Continue Reading