COMO, ITALY – APRIL 12: Nico Paz of Como 1907 celebrates after scoring his 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 Ruzzani/Getty Images)
Inter were disappointed by Marco Palestra’s decision to join Chelsea earlier this week, but the latest reports suggest the Nerazzurri will be able to reinvest funds they had set aside to sign Real Madrid wing-back Nico Paz instead.
Nico Paz renews his hopes for Inter after missing out on Palestra
Denzel Dumfries was set to join Real Madrid from Inter after his release clause was triggered earlier this month, with the Nerazzurri hoping to replace him with 21-year-old Italian talent Palestra.
However, the player, who was loaned from Cagliari for the 2025-26 season, has since decided to join Premier League side Chelsea on a five- or six-year deal worth €60 million, double the salary he was offered in Italy.
Previous reports said Inter’s Oaktree ownership group had set aside €50 million to sign Palestra this summer, and that any other new signings would have to be financed through the sale of current players.
Palestra is reportedly set to move to Chelsea and Dumfries to Madrid for a reported €20 million transfer fee, meaning Inter are thought to need €70 million before any other players are sold. Corriere dello Sport It has been suggested that the money could be used to sign Niko Paz.
Paz spent the past two seasons with Como in Serie A, where he won the division’s Under-23 Player of the Year award in 2025-26. Real Madrid have the option to buy the Argentine international back this summer for a fee of just €10 million to €11 million, and are reportedly considering triggering this option and selling the attacker for a fee of around €60 million.
As it stands, there appears to be a tug-of-war between Como and Inter over passing. Como sports director Carlalberto Rudy is located in the capital of Spain He will also speak with Madrid representatives about the possibility of keeping the pass for another season.
Como hopes he can persuade Madrid to let Paz remain at the Stadio Sinigaglia for another season, with Madrid in return activating the option to buy him next summer. The potential appeal for Madrid in this scenario is that Paz’s market value could rise even more than his current €60 million if he ends up playing in the Champions League next season under manager Cesc Fabregas.
Inter wants the opposite. Madrid are likely to activate their buy-back clause this summer and be willing to sell the Argentine player immediately. There is also hope that Nerazzurri captain Lautaro Martínez may be able to help persuade him to pass while they travel together in Argentina’s 2026 World Cup camp.
However, Corriere dello Sport warns that if Inter are successful in acquiring Pass, the club are likely to abandon their bid for Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones.
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