Real Madrid News
Real Madrid will stick to original plan of re-signing former academy ace despite jitters
Long before the internal turmoil began in Real Madrid’s dressing room and the board realised that dramatic changes were required, the administration had one transfer for the summer marked in red – Nico Paz.
Having spent the past few seasons at Como, the youngster has furthered his development to a point where Los Blancos see it as non-negotiable to have him back.
As relayed earlier this week, however, Paz is in a dilemma and prefers to stay in Italy for another year after having helped the Italian club qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
No change in plan
Now, as conveyed by Ramon Alvarez in a recent update, Real Madrid’s plans regarding the Argentine midfielder remain exactly the same and has not changed in any capacity.
The Merengues still plan to execute the payment of Paz’s €9 million buyback clause to the Serie A side this summer and bring him back to the Valdebebas as a key pillar for next season.
The situation, needless to say, sets up for a tense decision as the club and the player do not appear to be on the same page.
While Real Madrid prefer immediate commitment, Paz appears to tilt towards honing his skills in a low-pressure environment for one more season.
Down to the manager
With Real Madrid heading into presidential elections, it cannot be said for sure if Jose Mourinho will indeed be the new coach as has been widely speculated.
After all, it will all come down to whether Florentino Perez or Enrique Riquelme wins.
Paz’s return, as is the case with all other transfer decisions, will largely revolve around the manager who will arrive next month and how much value the incoming coach sees in the Argentine star.
Elche manager Martin Anselmi knows his side cannot afford to spend 90 minutes simply absorbing pressure when Real Madrid arrive for Tuesday’s La Liga clash.
After showing greater resilience against Athletic Club, the Argentine wants Elche to take that confidence into one of their toughest fixtures of the season.
A 1-1 draw at San Mames provided some encouragement after a difficult opening to the campaign.
Elche had led for much of the second half before Athletic eventually found a way back, but Anselmi believes the performance offered a blueprint for what his team must do next.
“The fact that we put up a fight at San Mames makes us feel united and shows us that this is the path to follow,” said the Elche manager, as per MARCA.
Anselmi wants Elche to defend with the ball
Against Real Madrid, Anselmi does not intend to abandon the principles that helped Elche compete in Bilbao.
His preferred defensive strategy starts with keeping the ball away from the opposition.
“For us, the best way to defend is to keep possession. I think we need to show the same defensive resilience as we did at San Mames and defend with the ball.”
That approach will face a severe examination against a Real Madrid side possessing the quality to punish even brief lapses.
Elche have already conceded 13 goals this season and currently sit 19th, making defensive concentration a major concern.
On that note, Anselmi is fully aware of the individual threat Madrid possess.
“They make complicated moves look easy and push you to the limit. We mustn’t give anything away and need to stay focused throughout the match.”
The fixture arrives at an awkward time for Anselmi, who has had limited preparation time before facing Madrid, and Yago de Santiago will be the only confirmed absentee.
“The most important match is the next one. From there, we’ll see who’s in the best form and spread the workload,” said the Elche boss.
Real Madrid test comes at a crucial moment
Elche’s start to the 2026/27 season has been anything but positive.
They drew with Deportivo La Coruña before losing three consecutive games against Barcelona, Racing Santander and 10-man Real Sociedad, during which they conceded 11 goals.
The draw against Athletic halted that run, but it did not erase the defensive problems. Elche currently have the second-worst defensive record in La Liga, leaving Anselmi with little margin for error against Real Madrid.
