Xabi Alonso’s former club aiming to take 14 G/A star away from Real Madrid | OneFootball

Real Madrid have already made three summer signings in Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Franco Mastantuono, but more are expected to arrive after the Club World Cup concludes in July. Alvaro Carreras is wanted as a new left-back, while there could be a return to the Santiago Bernabeu for Nico Paz.

Paz was sold last summer by Real Madrid to Serie A side Como, where he was very impressive during the 2024-25 season. He scored six goals and provided eight assists across 35 appearances, while his overall performances were also good. And as such, this has led to interest growing in his services.

Bayer Leverkusen join race for Nico Paz

The likes of Inter and Arsenal have been linked in recent weeks, and now a new name has emerged: Bayer Leverkusen. As per Florian Plettenburg, the Bundesliga side have Paz on their list of targets to replace Liverpool-bound Florian Wirtz.

Image via MATTEO BAZZI / EFE

Real Madrid have the option to re-sign Paz this summer for a bargain price of €8m. And while reports have suggested that they will aim to do so, it is unlikely to happen until the middle of July when the Club World Cup is over. As such, Leverkusen would have an advantage in efforts to negotiate with Como.

Paz has shown his potential in the last 12 months, but it must be remembered that Real Madrid have an abundance of attacking midfielders. Xabi Alonso has Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz and now Mastantuono to choose from, which means that Paz is not particularly needed at the Bernabeu.

Nevertheless, Real Madrid could trigger the buy-back clause before selling Paz on for a significant profit. And if this were to be the case, Leverkusen would have a chance of getting a deal done, especially as they will have plenty of funds after selling Wirtz.