Madrid Move Fast on €9m Buyback
Real Madrid are set to meet Como today to formally communicate their intention to activate the €9 million buyback clause on Nico Páz. The Argentine midfielder has been one of Serie A’s most exciting talents this season. Under Cesc Fàbregas at Como, the 21-year-old produced 13 goals and eight assists in 37 appearances. His performances earned him a place in Argentina’s 2026 World Cup squad alongside Lionel Messi. Stunning numbers for a player Madrid sold for just €6 million in 2024.
Madrid have no desire to keep Páz at the Bernabéu. The plan is surgical. Activate the cheap clause, take control of his registration, then immediately offer him out at a far higher price. Today’s meeting with Como sets that process in motion. The buyback clause expires at the end of the month, so Los Blancos are refusing to waste time. They hold the cards here. Páz himself has reportedly preferred to stay in Italy for another season, but Real Madrid control his future regardless. Business drives this decision, not sentiment.
Como Face a €60m Ultimatum
As part of today’s talks, Madrid will give Como the opportunity to sign Páz on a permanent basis. The price: €60 million. A significant demand for a club that only recently secured Champions League football for the first time in their history. Fàbregas has publicly pushed for Páz to remain, calling him central to Como’s European ambitions. Yet the Italian club reportedly baulks at the asking price, and talks have already stalled in recent days.
Madrid have added another layer of complexity. Even if Como agree to pay €60 million, Los Blancos want to insert an €80 million buyback clause into that sale. Essentially, Real Madrid would retain a future recovery option on a player they originally sold for a fraction of his current value. It is a bold negotiating position. Understandably, Como may find the combined financial and contractual burden too steep. Should they walk away, the door swings open for other clubs. Tottenham previously had a €70 million bid rejected by Como last summer. Chelsea have also been tracking Páz closely since late 2025. The queue of interested parties is long, and Madrid know it.
The Clause Game Madrid Play So Well
This situation is no accident. Real Madrid’s La Fábrica academy has become a talent production line, and buyback clauses are a core part of the financial model. Sell young, insert a cheap clause, let the player develop at a partner club, then reclaim and profit. Páz represents the blueprint working to near perfection. A €6 million outgoing now returns a potential €60 million windfall. That is a tenfold return without the player contributing meaningfully to the first team.
Como have already been earmarked as the next destination for two more Madrid youth products, winger Daniel Yánez and right-back Jesús Fortea, signalling that the partnership between the clubs runs deeper than one transfer. Still, today’s meeting marks a pivotal moment. Como must decide fast. Other clubs circle. Madrid hold all the leverage. One thing is certain: wherever Páz ends up, Real Madrid profit handsomely. Track every development in this story and across the summer window at kcpredict.com. For a deeper look at how Páz’s season unfolded at Como, Transfermarkt’s profile offers full statistical context.