Real Madrid will not re-sign former wonderkid in time for FIFA Club World Cup | OneFootball

With the signings of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen secured, Real Madrid have been working to further beef up their squad before flying to the US for the FIFA Club World Cup in over a week.

One player who has been heavily linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu is former academy ace Nico Paz.

Having left the club last summer to join Como 1907, the 20-year-old attacking midfield ace is on the club’s radar.

With an €8 million buyback clause now active, Real Madrid have been mulling over triggering it, potentially in time for the FIFA Club World Cup.

Nico Paz will not play for Real Madrid at the Club World Cup

However, according to the latest update from journalist Miguel Angel Diaz of COPE, Real Madrid have decided not to bring back Nico Paz for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.

A final decision on the Argentine prodigy’s future will be taken after the tournament, which begins on 13 June in the United States.

For the moment, Real Madrid are focused on securing the signing of Nico’s compatriot, Franco Mastantuono from River Plate, to reinforce their midfield.

Nico has had a standout season at Como under the management of Cesc Fabregas. The former Barcelona midfielder is pleased with his performance and has asked the club to try to keep him, although Real Madrid hold the final say.

Will Nico return to Madrid? (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)

However, Nico himself is not entirely convinced about returning to Real Madrid. His priority is regular playing time – something that cannot be guaranteed by new manager Xabi Alonso, given the plethora of midfielders at the club.

Re-sign him to resell him?

Given the difficulty of fitting him into the squad – particularly considering his demand for regular minutes – Real Madrid may consider allowing him to stay one more season at Como or re-signing him only to transfer him elsewhere for a profit.

Several clubs have expressed interest in the player – one of which happens to be Alonso’s former employers Bayer Leverkusen.

The German giants see Nico as a potential replacement for Florian Wirtz who is set to join Liverpool. And the idea of Real Madrid buying him back using the €8 million clause to sell him for a bigger fee is not ruled out.

At the same time, a return to the Bernabeu could still be on the table should Nico be willing to accept a more secondary role and compete for a starting spot under Alonso.

Nothing is ruled out at this point but what appears certain is that a decision will not be made in time for the Club World Cup.