Arsenal turn their sights on 20-year-old Lionel Messi teammate on Real Madrid’s radar: Reports

Arsenal turn their sights on 20-year-old Lionel Messi teammate on Real Madrid’s radar: Reports
By
Bhargav
Modified Jan 29, 2025 15:01 GMT
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Arsenal are reportedly eyeing former Real Madrid midfielder Nico Paz, who’s Lionel Messi’s Argentina teammate. The 20-year-old moved from Castilla to Como last summer.

Paz has been in impressive form for the newly promoted Serie A outfit, registering five goals and four assists in 20 games in the top flight, where Cesc Fabregas’ side are 13th in the standings, two points above the drop zone.

In his most recent outing, the Argentina international scored his team’s lone goal in a 2-1 home loss to Atalanta last weekend. Despite being contracted with Como till 2028, Paz has attracted interest from potential suitors, including his former club Los Blancos.

As per InterNews24 (via Sportwitness), the 20-year-old was seen in action by Arsenal scouts in the aforementioned Atalanta game, with Inter Milan apparently leading the race for his services.

It’s pertinent to note that Carlo Ancelotti’s side have a buyback option of €12 million in Lionel Messi’s international teammate’s Como deal, which the Serie A side are looking to remove. However, any move is seemingly unlikely to happen in the ongoing January transfer window.

Paz – who played in Real Madrid’s youth ranks – made his senior international debut with reigning World and Copa America champions Argentina in a 6-0 home win over Bolivia in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. The youngster picked up an assist in 17 minutes of action, assisting captain Messi’s hat-trick goal in the 86th minute.

How has Lionel Messi fared against Arsenal and Real Madrid?
Argentina captain Lionel MessiArgentina captain Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the finest players and most lethal goalscorers to grace the beautiful game. In his illustrious career spanning over two decades, the 37-year-old has netted 850 times for club and country.

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Twenty-six of those goals (and 14 assists) have come in 47 games against Real Madrid, with all of those goal contributions coming while he was with Barcelona between 2004 and 2021. Messi’s team won 20 of those games and lost 16.

Meanwhile, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has met Arsenal six times – all in the UEFA Champions League while with Barca, registering nine goals and two assists. Four of those goals came in a single game – a 4-1 home win in the second leg of the quarter-final in the competition’s 2009-10 edition.

Messi and Co., though, would lose to eventual winners Inter Milan in the next round, ending their title defence.