Tottenham Hotspur have seen their opening offer for Nico Paz rebuffed by Como
Tottenham Hotspur delivered a new defensive midfielder for head coach Thomas Frank on Sunday evening. Spurs announced the arrival of Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich for the 2025/26 campaign, with an option to buy him permanently next summer.
However, on the same day, Thomas Frank was dealt a big blow as James Maddison suffered a freak injury to his knee in the 1-1 friendly draw with Newcastle United in Seoul. The Dane’s initial prognosis of the creative midfielder’s injury was not good, and the news which everyone associated with Tottenham were dreading to hear dropped today.
Spurs released an official statement that Maddison has ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) on his right knee and will undergo surgery in the coming days. He has been pretty much ruled out for the majority of the upcoming season, and as per reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Hotspur Way chiefs are in the market for his replacement.
Tottenham Hotspur have seen their opening offer for Nico Paz rebuffed by Como.
Tottenham have lost James Maddison for the upcoming season following an ACL rupture
Tottenham’s opening bid for Como playmaker Nico Paz rejected
The Lilywhites were looking for a new No.10 anyway after trying to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest last month, so Frank now has an even greater need for an attacking midfielder. And it looks like they have identified a player from Serie A as a potential target to replace the crocked Maddison.
According to Sky Sports Italia, Spurs have tabled an €40 million offer for Como star Nico Paz, which has been outright rejected, valuing the player at €70 million. Como will only consider offers of €60 million to start talks.
Nico Paz moved to Como from Real Madrid in August 2024, and he enjoyed a fantastic debut season in Serie A. Used primarily as a No.10 by Cesc Fabregas, the Argentina international caught the eye with six goals and nine assists in 35 Serie A appearances. For his overall impact and consistency, he was named the best under-23 player in Serie A last term.
Tottenham Hotspur have seen their opening offer for Nico Paz rebuffed by Como.
Como reject Tottenham’s €40m offer for Nico Paz
Considering how highly he is rated and his vast potential, Real Madrid have not given up on Paz. The aforementioned report adds they have an €9m buyback clause inserted in his contract until June 30, 2026, with the fee rising to €10 million in 2027. Thus, Como are working to acquire the South American permanently, considering that should other teams make offers, Real Madrid can match them or receive 50% of the future resale price.
Spending such a big fee on Nico Paz will be risky
There is no debating Paz’s talent and potential, and he was consistent throughout his debut senior campaign of his career in Serie A. Tottenham tabling an opening €40 million offer suggest their concrete interest in the player, but it was deemed insufficient by Como as they value their star playmaker a lot highly.
The Serie A side are ready to start talks for the Argentina international only from €60, and for that price, it would be risky business for Spurs. Coming from Serie A and settling in the Premier League has not been easy for players, including some highly-rated talents. Thus, rather than splashing so much money, our club chiefs must go for Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss, who has a top-flight season experience under his belt and available for just around £22m thanks to a relegation clause in his contract.