‘Crazy’ playmaker wins major award after Tottenham rejection as Daniel Levy ambition vindicated

One of Europe’s best young attacking midfielders is going from strength to strength after turning down the chance to join Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, as TEAMtalk analyses whether Spurs would be able to convince him to join Thomas Frank’s side following the departure of Daniel Levy.

Tottenham were very active in the summer transfer window, as the north London club aimed to enhance the squad that won the Europa League last season. Under new manager Frank, Spurs are aiming to finish in the Premier League top four and also progress from the League Phase of the Champions League in the 2025/26 campaign.

Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani were among the major signings that Levy made for Tottenham in the summer before stepping down as the chairman of the Premier League club.

Tottenham also made an ambitious bid for Nico Paz, with trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano revealing that Como rejected it, with the former Real Madrid playmaker himself keen on staying at the Italian club.

The Italian transfer guru noted that Paz wants to play for Madrid in the long run, having come through the Spanish and European giants’ youth system before turning out eight times for the first team, scoring one goal in the process.

Paz joined Como from Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, with Los Blancos holding buy-back clauses for 2025 (now expired), 2026, and 2027.

Romano wrote on X at 9:55pm on August 24: “EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham bid worth €70m package for Nico Páz has been turned down tonight. Páz wants to stay at Como with view on Real Madrid future + Real were gonna match any proposal in any case. Real have €10m buy back clause in 2026 but will compensate Como in future.”

Paz made 30 starts and five substitute appearances in Serie A for Como last season, scoring six goals and giving eight assists in the process.

The youngster also made his debut for Argentina in October 2024, with the great Lionel Messi subsequently describing his maturity as “crazy and beyond his age”, adding that the youngster “has an impressive head”.

Paz won the Serie A Best Under-23 player award for the 2024-25 campaign and was included in the Serie A Team of the Season.

The Como playmaker has made a strong start to the 2025/26 campaign and has scored one goal and given one assist in two Serie A matches.

Paz’s goal came in the 2-0 victory over Lazio when he scored from a direct free kick with his left foot.

The Tottenham target’s impressive start to the new Serie A season has led to him being bestowed with the honour of being the Rising Star (Best U23) of the month for August in Serie A.

Paz will receive the award ahead of Como’s Serie A game against Genoa at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia next Monday.

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Tottenham have to move on from Nico Paz

One has to laud former Tottenham chairman Levy for his ambitious bid for Paz, but that ship has sailed now.

Paz has publicly made it clear that his dream is to return to Real Madrid, and it is hard to see him make a U-turn on his stance and switch to Tottenham, should the Premier League club come back for him in January or next summer.

The playmaker told Provincia di Como: “The transfer market? I didn’t listen to anything.

“I stayed focused on preparing for the season. Let’s hope everything goes well and that we can reach the highest possible level.”

Spanish publication, AS, reported in on August 27 that Real Madrid have made a ‘promise’ to Paz to bring him back to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2026.

Madrid, who appointed Xabi Alonso as their new manager at the end of last season following the departure of Carlo Ancelotti, have ‘told’ Paz that they are ‘counting on him for 2026’, as Los Blancos aim to exercise their buy-back clause of €9m (£7.7m, $10.5m).

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