Meet Real Madrid’s in-house Modric replacement: Nico Paz
It was the 7th of August 2024, in what I recall being the early hours of the morning and I found myself watching Chelsea and Real Madrid battle it out during a pre-season friendly which saw Los Blancos win the game 2-1. However, nothing to do with the result or the game in general really stood out. The reason I remember this match so well is because it introduced me to a player who I think everyone will hear about very soon.
Nico Paz.
He only came on in the 70th minute or so but the quality he possessed to stand out amongst some already world-class players on the pitch, made me take note. A tall, physically imposing centre-midfielder who seemed to be able to glide around the pitch, every decision he made seemed to be the correct one. His touches were assured and well calculated and although he is quite rangy, he was able to manipulate the ball in tight spaces surprisingly well whilst also being able to deal with it being played into his feet whilst under pressure, evading the opposition with elegant body feints and quick passes.
I was astounded. How have I never heard of this guy? Someone that looked this talented had never crossed my social media so I quickly went to do some research. It turns out that he only played Real Madrid 7 times in the odd cameo appearance. He did impressively manage to score a champions league goal against Napoli in a 4-2 win but in terms of senior minutes for the Spanish giants, he found them relatively hard to come by.
So in come newly promoted Serie A club Como who have targeted some of Europe’s most promising young talents in hopes they stay at. Nico Paz was one of the first names on their list and he hasn’t looked back since he left. Under the wisdom and guise of head coach Cesc Fabregas, who knows a thing or two about playing in midfield, Paz has taken to Italian football like a duck to water.
The 20 year old has been playing in a hybrid 8/10 role which has seen him amass 5 goals and 3 assists in 22 games for a Como side just above the relegation zone. It isn’t a stretch to say he has been their best player this season whilst also being one of the best under 21 players in the whole league. With Real Madrid having a buy-back clause for the Argentinian, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him back starring for Los Blancos in the near future. He simply is that good.
He is a complete midfielder who does his best work in advanced central positions around the edge of the box. Watch him just for 5 minutes and you’ll see how his technical elegance and physical stature separates him from most of his competitors. The perfect Modric replacement is right here and luckily for Madrid they don’t need to spend ludicrous amounts to get him.
