Chelsea are close to signing the former Real Madrid sensation, and it is thought the west Londoner could even seal a deal in January.
Despite recent shock home defeats to Brighton and Sunderland, Enzo Maresca’s side have made a solid start to the season overall, losing just once in their last nine games and moving up to third in the Premier League table.
However, even taking into account their form on paper, not to mention the nearly £300m spent by Chelsea over the summer, there are suggestions that Maresca is unhappy with his current squad and could look to upgrade in key areas in the winter.
Premier League club summer spending | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
rank | club | total expenditure | sale | net expenditure |
20. | bournemouth | £136.7m | £202.5 million | +65.8 million pounds |
19. | brighton | £67.7m | £127.5m | +59.8 million pounds |
18. | brentford | £92.8m | £152 million | +59.2 million pounds |
17. | wolf | £105.6m | £126.5m | +20.9 million pounds |
16. | chelsea | £296.5m | £314.4 million | +17.9 million pounds |
Chelsea have already lost Trevor Chalobah, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Benoît Badiasire and Tosin Adarabioyo to injury this season, with Maresca reportedly prioritizing bringing in a new centre-back in January.
Injury-hit midfielder Romeo Labia is also expected to be out for “at least” a month with a quad injury (manager Fabrizio Romano), and Chelsea are said to be considering new midfield options for 2026.
Nico Paz is keen on a move to Chelsea, with Como also being approached
In fact, according to TEAMtalk, Como star Nico Paz is Chelsea’s most likely target for mid-January, with Maresca looking to strengthen his team not only in the engine room but also up front.
Chelsea appear to have begun discussions with both the Serie A club and Pas’ agent through direct inquiries, as they seek to address depth issues in their squad brought to light by recent injury problems.
The Blues are actively shortlisting midfield reinforcements, with Lavia’s recent injury layoff prompting urgent action.
Paz, who is worth around £62m and comes from Real’s youth ranks, has emerged as a front-runner to arrive at Stamford Bridge in January, ahead of both Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton and Man United’s Koby Mainu.
What makes this potential deal particularly encouraging for Chelsea is the player’s own enthusiasm for the move. Pass is thought to be genuinely interested in a move to England and believes Chelsea is the “ideal” next step in his career.
His left-footed technical ability and creativity have caught the eye of Chelsea’s scouting department, who are said to believe he fits perfectly into their current recruitment philosophy.
The young Spaniard is the type of player Chelsea have targeted under Bruco’s leadership, a high-potential player who ticks several boxes in terms of age profile, quality and future sale value.
However, signing a contract with Pass is by no means easy.
Real Madrid essentially, if not officially, own the player and have full matching rights in any contract, not to mention a 50 per cent sell-on clause and multiple buy-back options worth just £8 million in the summer of 2026 and £8.5 million in 2027 (Football Italia).
Chelsea may even need to negotiate with the La Liga giants alongside Como to make this deal happen, as this means Xabi Alonso’s side will have a huge say in Pas’ future.
