Real Madrid’s decision to make Nico Paz available for a reported €60 million has introduced significant uncertainty into Inter Milan’s summer transfer plans. The potential acquisition of the Argentine midfielder could force the club to fundamentally rethink their approach to strengthening the midfield and might even lead them to abandon their pursuit of Liverpool’s Curtis Jones.
Earlier, Inter had reportedly stepped back from the race to sign Paz, intending to allocate their budget towards other targets. However, Real Madrid’s unexpected openness to a sale, influenced by their own recruitment needs and the interest from José Mourinho in a defender like Bastoni, has reopened discussions at Inter.
The primary obstacle is financial. Securing Paz would necessitate a substantial capital injection from Inter’s owners, Oaktree, in addition to the funds expected from planned player sales.
Paz as a Luis Alberto Replacement Could Make Jones Signing Redundant
This is where the situation with Curtis Jones becomes highly relevant. Inter had previously made a €20 million offer to Liverpool for the English midfielder. However, reports now suggest that the club is considering a strategic shift, envisioning Paz occupying an offensive midfield role akin to Luis Alberto during Inzaghi’s tenure at Lazio.
Should Paz successfully fill this creative midfield position, the need to sign Jones would diminish significantly, freeing up the €20 million budget for the Paz operation.
To finance such a move further, Inter would likely need to orchestrate a considerable sales campaign. Alexandar Stankovic’s impressive season at Bruges could potentially generate around €40 million, and other players like Frattesi, Luis Henrique, Pavard, and Carlos Augusto are also considered candidates for departure.
This represents an ambitious restructuring, but one that the club is prepared to explore if Paz’s availability proves to be a genuine prospect.
