Tottenham have reportedly identified Nico Paz, once dubbed "the future of Real Madrid" by former boss Carlo Ancelotti, as an alternative to Eberechi Eze after he snubbed them for Arsenal
Tottenham look to have lost out in the race to sign Crystal Palace sensation Eberechi Eze after rivals Arsenal swooped in with a transfer coup. But Spurs' next target, Como's Nico Paz, was once hailed as "the future of Real Madrid."
Despite Spurs chief Daniel Levy hammering out a £60million proposal for Eze, their north London rivals turned up on Wednesday evening with a £68m package. Thanks to executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis' relationship with Palace's Steve Parish, the Gunners managed to outmanoeuvre their rivals, and Eze has opted for a move to the Emirates.
He hopes to play one final time for Palace in their Conference League play-off against Fredrikstad on Thursday evening, but may be held back due to injury risk. Tottenham must now shift their focus elsewhere, and former Real Madrid star Paz is reportedly on their radar and highly regarded.
Having all but missed out on long-term target Eze, Thomas Frank's Spurs have turned their attention to other attacking midfield targets. They are keen to bolster this area due to injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, and the departure of Son Heung-min.
The Daily Mail suggests that alongside Monaco star Maghnes Akliouche, Como ace Paz is on the club's shortlist. Paz, born in Tenerife, started his career in local academies before moving to Real Madrid's famed La Fabrica in 2016.
He started out as a defender but gradually moved further forward into more attacking positions. Following his B-team debut in 2022, Paz was given his first senior opportunity for Los Blancos in the Champions League clash with Braga 12 months later. His maiden league outing followed shortly afterwards.
Alas, facing intense competition for forward positions, he pursued a transfer in August 2024 and joined newly-promoted Serie A outfit Como for a reported £5.1million. He made his debut for the club the following day with immediate impact.
Real retain an approximate £10.5m buy-back clause for the youngster, and continue to hold some of his economic rights. The club's former boss Carlo Ancelotti suggested this provision might be triggered down the line while praising the star, which could complicate any potential deal for Spurs.
Speaking to Rai Radio 1 last December, Ancelotti was questioned about Paz and couldn't contain his admiration, declaring: "Paz is a player we follow a lot. He is really good.
"He's a great talent. This year of training away from Real is doing him a lot of good. We believe he is a player who can be the future of Real Madrid."
Paz earned the Serie A Young Player of the Year award in Italy last season. The 20-year-old then won his first Argentina cap against Bolivia in October 2024 and, after setting up the legendary Lionel Messi, received acclaim once more.
"Nico Paz has an incredible mindset, and that's why he's where he is," Messi declared following the 6-0 triumph. "Nico has a lot of quality and understands the game perfectly.
"He has an incredible mindset, and he's with Cesc Fabregas (manager of Como) as coach, who is my friend and will help him grow a lot."