Lionel Messi didn't hold back on attitude of Tottenham's James Maddison replacement option

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly targeting a swoop for Nico Paz, a promising youngster who previously caught Lionel Messi's eye with his exceptional attitude. Spurs' pursuit of Paz has intensified after Thomas Frank has been forced to explore the transfer market following James Maddison's ACL setback during pre-season.

The injury threatens to rule the England midfielder out for the majority of the 2025/2026 season. Frank is understood to be seeking a new number 10 and Paz turned heads after claiming Serie A's Young Player of the Year accolade for the 2024/25 campaign, registering 14 goal contributions under Cesc Fabregas at Como.

His display on his senior debut for Argentina, where he set up Messi during a commanding 6-0 triumph over Bolivia, also earned glowing reviews from the footballing icon. "Nico Paz has an incredible mindset, and that's why he's where he is," Messi said.

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"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 The Athleticsuggests that Tottenham have yet to submit an official bid for Paz, Italian outlets claim that Como have rejected a £35m approach from Frank's side.

The club are believed to be holding out for approximately £60m to part ways with the 20-year-old. Paz's journey with Como began when he joined from Real Madrid in 2024 for a fee of £5.2m, playing a crucial role in the Italian side's impressive 10th-place finish in Serie A.

However, Spurs may find it tricky to bring Paz to north London. Como are said to be standing firm on any potential sale, and there's the added complication of a 50% sell-on clause held by Real.

The Athletic reports that while they chose not to activate a £6.9m buy-back option for Paz this year, they still have an £8m clause for 2026 and a £9m clause for 2027, along with the right to match any offer at any time.

Maddison's injury occurred in Spurs' pre-season clash with Newcastle United in South Korea. He went down after an incident away from the ball and had to be stretchered off the field by medical staff.

Frank admitted his concern after the game that Maddison could miss a huge chunk of the season, months after injuring the same knee in the previous campaign, with his worst fears later confirmed.

Spurs were already on the hunt for a new number 10,having attempted to lure Morgan Gibbs-White away from Nottingham Forest before the England international penned a new deal with his club. With Son Heung-min's departureand Dejan Kulusevski also sidelined due to injury, Paz could become a prime target in the coming weeks.

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