Real Madrid might try a unique ‘swap’ deal to sign Jose Mourinho’s top choice
Jose Mourinho is reportedly close to landing his top transfer target this summer, with Real Madrid planning an unusual move to make it happen.
After Álvaro Arbeloa stepped down as head coach earlier this month, Mourinho, who managed Real from 2010 to 2013, was named as the new boss. Since then, Real have signed some great players, including Denzel Dumfries from Inter, Marc Cucurella from Chelsea, Ibrahima Konaté from Liverpool, and Bernardo Silva from Manchester City.
But the team isn’t done yet. Mourinho wants to add more players—a defender, a midfielder, and a striker—before the summer window closes.
Reports say Mourinho’s top target is Alessandro Bastoni, a centre-back from Inter and Italy. However, this deal might only happen if Nico Paz moves the other way to Inter, in a rather unusual swap.
Both players are valued between €60 million (£51 million) and €70 million (£60 million) by their clubs—Inter and Como. Paz, an Argentinian midfielder, came up through Real Madrid’s youth system and played four games for the first team in the 2023/24 season before joining Como last year.
Real still have the option to buy Paz back for just €9 million (£8 million), which is much cheaper than his current value. But using this option might stop the Bastoni deal from going through.
Sources say Inter will only talk about Bastoni if they can sign Paz from Como, meaning Real would have to skip their buy-back option in this unique swap deal.
Paz has already told Real he wants to stay in northern Italy for at least another season after helping Como qualify for the Champions League last year.
According to the Spanish news outlet AS: “Paz has decided to spend another season at Como, giving a big boost to Cesc Fàbregas as the club prepares for their return to the UEFA Champions League. The midfielder has told Real Madrid that he wants to stay in Italy instead of coming back to Spain this season.”
Paz’s contract with Como runs until 2028.
A final decision on these moves is expected after the 2026 World Cup.
Mourinho is also interested in signing Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck and Benfica’s Tomás Araújo, who he worked with before at Benfica.