Tottenham's £60m 'James Maddison replacement' stunned Lionel Messi with his behaviour

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a swoop for Nico Paz, a player who once stunned Lionel Messi with his state of mind.

Thomas Frank has been forced into transfer market action after James Maddison ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in pre-season, meaning he will now potentially miss the majority of the 2025/2026 season. Paz now appears to be one player of interest to Spurs, amongst a few options.

Paz was named Serie A's Young Player of the Year for 2024/25 as he contributed to 14 goals for Cesc Fabregas' Como.

He also caused a stir when, on his senior debut for Argentina, he provided an assist for Messi in a 6-0 win over Bolivia. Messi praised the youngster afterwards, citing his professionalism.

"Nico Paz has an incredible mindset, and that’s why he’s where he is," Messi said. "Nico has a lot of quality and understands the game perfectly. He has an incredible mindset, and he’s with Cesc Fabregas as coach who is my friend and will help him grow a lot".

While reports via The Athletic state that Spurs have yet to make a bid for the starlet, Italian reports suggest that Como have rejected a £35m bid from Frank's side. However, they say the club would be looking for £60m to part with the 20-year-old Argentinian.

Paz moved to Como from Real Madrid for £5.2m in 20204. He was instrumental as the Italian side finished tenth in Serie A - however, bringing Paz to north London will be a tricky deal to pull off for Spurs.

Como are believed to be unwilling to sell, while Paz's former club, Madrid, are said to have a 50% sell-on clause. The Athletic say that Madrid elected against activating an £6.9m buy-back clause for Paz this year, but they retain a £8m clause for 2026 and a £9m clause for 2027 and can match an offer from any club at any time.

Maddison, 28, suffered the injury during Sunday's pre-season fixture against Newcastle United in South Korea. He went down in an incident off the ball and was later stretchered off by the club's medical staff.

Frank delivered an update in his post-match interview, admitting he was worried that Maddison, who had been on his way back to fitness following a long lay-off, had suffered a "bad injury".

Frank's worst fears have since materialised, with Spurs announcing on Thursday morning that Maddison is set to undergo surgery for a torn ACL in his right knee - the very same knee he injured at the end of last season.

Spurs were in the hunt for a new number ten anyway after attempting to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest before the England star agreed a new deal with his side. However, with the departure of Son-Heung Min, and Dejan Kulusevski currently injured, Paz could become a viable target in the coming weeks.

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