How Como spent €104m on Fabregas squad for Champions League
Como have already committed roughly €104 million on five headline signings—including Nico Paz (€60m), Yan Couto (€20m), and Kaiki (€12m)—to equip Cesc Fabregas for the club's historic Champions League debut. Backed by the Hartono family and structured through loans, release clauses, and deferred buy options, the lakeside project's summer transfer bill could still climb toward €150 million before the window closes.
Key Takeaways
- Como have invested €104m on Nico Paz, Yan Couto, Kaiki, Luis Milla, and Mattia Liberali ahead of their first Champions League season.
- Cesc Fabregas is building an ultra-offensive squad using creative financing—loans with buy obligations and staggered payments rather than upfront cash.
- Real Madrid retain an €80m buy-back option on Nico Paz for summer 2027 after Como paid €60m to keep the Argentine permanently.
- Further defensive and striker targets could push total 2026 summer spending to around €150m, per La Gazzetta dello Sport.
- The Hartono family's backing lets Como spend at levels comparable to Serie A's biggest clubs while managing future UEFA scrutiny.
Why is Como spending €104m before its first Champions League season?
Como are preparing for the first Champions League campaign in club history, and Cesc Fabregas's side have already committed more than €100 million on new players ahead of that maiden voyage into Europe's most prestigious competition, as Football Italia reported on 10 July 2026.
That figure is not a rough estimate. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Como have already spent €104 million on pure talent in a single transfer window—a budget in line with Italy's established giants and a sharp break from the caution that once defined the club.
For owners and investors watching how capital gets deployed in sport, the message is clear: Como are treating their European debut as a growth event, not a lucky draw. The Hartono family, Serie A's wealthiest ownership group, is funding a squad upgrade that Fabregas can actually use on the biggest stage.
How did the Nico Paz deal shape Como's transfer strategy?
The crown jewel of this window is Nico Paz. The Argentine prodigy arrived on a permanent deal for €60 million after protracted negotiations involving clauses and counter-offers with Real Madrid, La Gazzetta reported.
The saga stretched across months. Real Madrid held a low-cost €9 million buy-back option for summer 2026, activated it, and then sold Paz back to Como for €60 million. The new agreement gives Madrid another buy-back option—but now at €80 million and only for summer 2027, according to Football Italia.
For Fabregas, securing Paz was less about one flashy signing and more about locking in the creative hub around which an ultra-offensive system can run. It also shows how Como negotiate: accept complexity, structure exit clauses, and still land the player the project cannot afford to lose.
Which signings make up Como's €104m Fabregas rebuild?
Beyond Paz, Como have reinforced both flanks to international standards. Yan Couto is arriving from Borussia Dortmund for the right side—a dynamic, attacking full-back valued at €20 million and suited to Fabregas's high-tempo style, per La Gazzetta.
On the left, Brazilian full-back Kaiki has been signed for €12 million, with the definitive purchase option—like Couto's—set for one year's time. Football Italia noted Kaiki arrived on loan with an obligation to buy, a structure that spreads cash flow while still securing the asset.
Como also paid release clauses for two midfield additions: experienced Spanish midfielder Luis Milla (around €6 million) and promising Italian playmaker Mattia Liberali (expected at roughly €6 million). YSscores, citing La Gazzetta, put total summer spending above €100 million even before those final two deals closed.
Add the pieces together and you get €104 million invested across five players who directly match Fabregas's tactical profile—wide thrust, midfield control, and creative depth behind the striker.
Is Como's spending reckless—or a calculated wealth play?
Headline numbers can look reckless. In context, Como describe a calculated entrepreneurial strategy rather than a race toward the abyss. La Gazzetta emphasised that enormous Hartono family resources make the spending possible, but the club still spreads investments through creative formulas, deferred payments, and future buy obligations.
That mirrors how smart capital allocators think about wealth building and passive income: front-load quality assets, structure liabilities over time, and avoid betting the balance sheet on one upfront lump sum. Loans with mandatory purchase clauses function like staged acquisitions—they keep today's outlay lower while securing tomorrow's squad.
Football Italia added that Como, in Serie B just a couple of years ago, reached Serie A's top four and the Coppa Italia semi-finals before this Champions League jump. The spending follows a pattern: invest aggressively at inflection points, not randomly across every window.
Will Fabregas push Como's transfer bill toward €150m?
Probably. La Gazzetta reported that Como's summer spending will not stop at €104 million. Fabregas and the sporting department still want at least one—and possibly two—new defensive signings, plus an alternative centre-forward option to Tasos Douvikas.
YSscores echoed that outlook, noting management is actively strengthening the defence and chasing a new striker, which could lift the 2026 summer transfer bill to around €150 million. Football Italia carried the same projection.
Cesc Fabregas is leading that ambitious project as Como prepare for a season with no precedent at the club. The €104 million already on the table is the down payment. The full invoice—and whether this wealth-backed gamble converts into European credibility—will depend on what happens in the weeks still left in the market.