Report: Borussia Dortmund show interest in Real Madrid talent Nico Paz

According to Sport.de, Borussia Dortmund have allegedly shown interest in signing Real Madrid and Argentina youngster Nico Paz.

Real Madrid’s academy has seemingly caught the eye of Borussia Dortmund, with the Black and Yellows allegedly looking at Nico Paz as a potential reinforcement in the attack. The 18 year old winger/ midfielder is considered a top prospect at Madrid, with current head coach Carlo Ancelotti  planning to include the player in the senior team setup for the 2023/24 season.

Paz has lived a life immersed in football. His father, Pablo Paz, played for Argentina’s national team as a a central defender in the 90’s, making 14 appearances for his country. His father’s time playing in Spain with clubs such as Tenerife and Real Valladolid resulted in the family settling in Spain, where Nico himself was born.

Climbing through the ranks of Tenerife’s academy system, he was picked up by Real Madrid’s academy in 2017. Since then, he has showcased his brilliant ability to dribble past opponents and create opportunities for his teammates whilst playing out wide.

The player fits the mold of a typical Borussia Dortmund transfer target – young, with a very high ceiling in terms of potential. He also fits the mold of the type of player that Dortmund have desperately missed out wide, namely a  player capable of being a creative winger that can feed the strikers with chances on goal.

The report indicates that Madrid are unlikely to want to let the player go next summer but with their interest in Jude Bellingham well-documented and Hans-Joachim Watzke’s good relationship with Florentino Pérez also a factor to consider, there may be some room for Paz to feature as part of any potential deal for Bellingham. Dortmund do not need to sell the English international this summer as he does have a contract until 2025, however the inclusion of a potential transfer target would sweeten the deal for the Ruhr side.

Of course, the main prerogative of the club must remain to try and keep hold of Bellingham and possibly extend his contract. The club are set to hold talks with the player this week per Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl, so they will likely know more about Bellingham’s intentions shortly, which will give the club a better perspective on how they can make sure the situation is resolved in the club’s favor.

The interesting nature of Paz being linked as part of a potential deal for Bellingham stems from the fact that, like Paz, Bellingham was once also a highly rated teenager that Dortmund went to great lengths to sign. It is this fact that gives me faith in the fact that if Dortmund do indeed somehow negotiate a deal including Paz, they certainly know what they are doing. If Ancelotti is indeed planning on having him join the senior team on a permanent basis come the summer, this is also a testament to how much stock they put in his ability as a player, and something that Dortmund recognize as well in targeting him.

Time will tell if there is any true validity to this speculation, and there will certainly be more speculation surrounding Bellingham’s future. With this being the undeniable reality of the situation, it is however very interesting to see that there may be some creative solutions for Dortmund that may see a talented player like Nico Paz go the other way and possibly fill a position of necessity for the club in addition to a substantial transfer fee that could go a long way towards re-building the side into a more competitive, complete unit.