Chelsea rival Arsenal for ex-Real Madrid wonderkid

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 8 Oct 2024 21:19 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea and Arsenal have both sent scouts to watch former Real Madrid youngster Nico Paz in action this season.

The 20-year-old left Los Blancos to join newly-promoted Serie A side Como for €6 million in August, bringing an end to an eight-year association with Real Madrid in the process.

The Spanish giants included a buy-back clause and a significant sell-on clause in Paz’s contract at Como, but he has now attracted interest from a host of top Premier League clubs.

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According to TBR Football, both Chelsea and Arsenal have sent scouts to watch Paz so far this season, while more than a dozen English top flight teams were interested in signing him before his move to Italy.

Paz, who has four caps for Argentina’s U23 side, has made six Serie A appearances for Como this campaign and he has already notched three league assists for his new club.

Chelsea have prioritised signing the best young talents in world football over the past year and are reportedly interested in Paz, despite the imminent arrivals of Kendry Paez and Estevao Willian in 2025.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have focused on supplementing the addition of youngsters by signing proven stars since Mikel Arteta’s arrival.

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Nico Paz at Real Madrid

Paz made eight first-team appearances for Real Madrid during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, and he scored his only goal for the club during a 4-2 Champions League win over Napoli last season.

After the match, Carlo Ancelotti told the media: “It’s a special night for him [Paz] and obviously he is a player for the future of Real Madrid.

“He has all the quality that a Real Madrid player needs to have. He came up big for the team at a moment when we needed it.”

Paz signed a four-year contract upon his arrival at Como, while his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) currently stands at €5.5m.