Real Madrid let Nico Paz walk for €6 million in August 2024. Now the 21-year-old Argentine is valued at roughly €80 million, and he doesn’t want to go back.
Paz has told Como he wants to stay for the 2026-27 season, choosing consistent minutes and a rising project in Serie A over a return to the Bernabéu. Real Madrid still holds a buyback clause, reportedly priced between €8 million and €9 million, that becomes active this summer. But the player’s preference is clear: he’d rather keep doing what’s working.
The economics of a buyback nightmare
Como paid €6 million to sign Paz. The buyback is set at roughly €8 million to €9 million. His current market valuation sits around €80 million. In English: Real Madrid could theoretically reacquire a player for about one-tenth of what he’s worth on the open market.
The wrinkle is that Paz doesn’t want to leave. As of mid-June 2026, Real Madrid has not finalized any decision on whether to exercise the option, with discussions reportedly still ongoing.
