Inter could reinvest Palestra funds on Nico Paz from Real Madrid instead | OneFootball

Inter were left disappointed by Marco Palestra’s decision to join Chelsea earlier this week, but the latest reports claim that the Nerazzurri could now reinvest the funds they had set aside for the wing-back on Nico Paz from Real Madrid instead.

Renewed Nico Paz hope for Inter after missing out on Palestra

Denzel Dumfries is set to join Real Madrid from Inter having had his release clause activated earlier this month, and the Nerazzurri had been hoping to replace him with 21-year-old Italy talent Palestra.

However, the 2025-26 Cagliari loanee has since decided to join Premier League outfit Chelsea in a total €60m deal on a five or six-year contract that will see him earn twice as much as he was offered in Italy in wages.

Previous reports claimed that Inter’s Oaktree ownership group had set aside €50m for the signing of Palestra this summer, and that any other new arrivals would have to be funded through the sales of current players.

With Palestra going to Chelsea and Dumfries going to Madrid for a reported fee of €20m, it is believed that Inter will have €70m to play with before any other players are sold, and reports from the Corriere dello Sport suggest that that money could go towards the signing of Nico Paz.

COMO, ITALY – APRIL 12: Nico Paz of Como 1907 celebrates after scoring their team’s second goal during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and FC Internazionale at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on April 12, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Paz has spent the last two seasons in Serie A with Como, winning the division’s U23 player of the year award in 2025-26. Real Madrid have an option to buy the Argentina international back for a fee of just €10m-€11m this summer and it has been reported that they will activate this option and look to sell the attacker on for a fee in the region of €60m.

It appears to be a tug of war between Como and Inter for Paz as things stand. Como’s sporting director Carlalberto Ludi is in the Spanish capital and is due to speak to representatives from Madrid about the possibility of keeping hold of Paz for another season.

Como hope that they will be able to convince Madrid into leaving Paz at the Stadio Sinigaglia for another season, and that Madrid will then activate their buy-back option next summer instead. The potential appeal for Madrid in that scenario is that Paz’s market value could increase even further than the current €60m if he spends next season playing Champions League football under Cesc Fabregas.

COMO, ITALY – JANUARY 24: Como 1907 coach Cesc Fabregas issues instructions to his player Nico Paz of Como 1907 during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and Torino FC at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on January 24, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Inter hope for the opposite: That Madrid will activate their buy-back clause this summer and that they will be open to an immediate sale of the Argentine. There is also a hope that Nerazzurri captain Lautaro Martinez might be able to help convince Paz while the pair are away together in the Argentina national team camp at the 2026 World Cup.

The Corriere dello Sport warns, however, that if Inter are able to strike a deal for Paz, then the club would likely drop their pursuit of Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones.