Chelsea are among the clubs said to be ‘hot on the trail’ of Nico Paz, with the Como wonderkid being thrust into the limelight after an impressive display against Manchester United in the Champions League.

Paz scored twice and created another in Como’s devastating defeat of United to take his tally to four goals and five assists in ten matches across all competitions this season.

The 22-year-old committed his future to Como in the summer, with the Serie A side paying €60 million in order to keep hold of Paz and avoid Real Madrid activating their €9m buy-back option for the midfielder.

However, Real Madrid do have a new clause allowing them to sign Paz for €80m next summer or take a major chunk of any fee he is sold for, meaning Como would demand a significant fee if they did opt to sell the Argentine international.

Como, naturally, have no desire to see Paz depart but Tuttomercatoweb report that interest in ramping up in the youngster after an improvement in his physicality and strength.

Chelsea are named as a team who are ‘constantly monitoring’ Paz, having kept a ‘close eye on him’ in Como’s last two matches against Feyenoord and Fiorentina, although the Premier League giants would be required to ‘pay a fortune’ to win the race for his signature.

Nico Paz: Real Madrid will be Chelsea’s biggest obstacle to signing Como’s biggest talent

Paz initially signed for Como for €6m in 2024, having only made four appearances for Real Madrid’s youth team since joining their academy as a 12-year-old.

One of Como’s biggest signings upon their return to Serie A, Paz thrived under coach Cesc Fabregas, netting six goals and eight assists to lead his side to their highest-ever league finish and winning the award for the division’s best player under the age of 23.

Como continued to evolve last season, as they qualified for the Champions League by finishing fourth, with Paz being named Serie A’s best midfielder and featuring in the team of the year by recording 12 goals and six assists.

“Nico Paz is world-class, both in terms of his work ethic and his talent,” Como sporting director Carlalberto Ludi told Sky Sport Italia earlier this month. “He knows a player needs to deserve it every day, but he has what it takes certainly to take that role, and I wish him the brightest possible future.”

Therefore, it is unsurprising that Real Madrid continue to monitor their former prodigy and are even open to paying the premium to sign him, while Chelsea could be required to pay more than €100m to seal a deal.

Data analytics form SciSports believe that Paz could become Chelsea’s best player if he fulfils his potential, exceeding that of Cole Palmer or Joao Pedro.

Furthermore, while it is still a small sample size, Paz has eclipsed every other performer in Serie A so far this season, with his underlying data proving to be among the best in Europe.

With Como being arguably the most financially-backed club in Italy, there is no pressure on them to sell Paz and it remains to be seen whether the player even looks to move, having been loyal to the team so far.

Although Chelsea will have the resources to pursue a deal, Real Madrid perhaps are the biggest obstacle to the Blues signing Paz and much will depend on how the playmaker progresses over the course of the season after an electric start.