Cristian Romero’s Tottenham future remains as unpredictable as ever, and just when Atletico Madrid appeared to be closing in on his signature, a fresh twist has emerged with the Argentine’s representatives now working behind the scenes to bring another club into the mix.
Inter Milan collapse opens door for Atletico Madrid
Romero’s proposed move to Inter Milan has fallen apart after the Serie A club failed to raise the funds needed to complete a deal, with the Nerazzurri unable to offload Benjamin Pavard in time to finance a swoop for the Tottenham captain.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed the collapse on his YouTube channel, revealing that Inter had reached a club-to-club agreement worth around £40million with Spurs, but were never able to get the green light from their own hierarchy due to the failed Pavard sale. That has handed the initiative to Atletico Madrid, who Romano now describes as “way, way ahead” of Inter in the race for Romero’s signature.
“I would put Atletico Madrid way way ahead of Inter today for Cuti Romero, because Inter had a deal in place with Tottenham for Romero in terms of club to club agreement for €40m, but never got a green light together with the player,” Romano said.
“What I can tell you today is that Atletico Madrid already started club-to-club negotiations with Tottenham for Romero. First official bid rejected. There will be a new official bid incoming for Romero. Atletico Madrid are working out how to get Romero.”
Diego Simeone is a huge fan of his fellow Argentine, and Atletico’s position has been strengthened by a clause inserted into Romero’s Tottenham contract when he signed a new deal last August. According to Marca, the defender secured a preferential mechanism allowing Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid or Barcelona to sign him, reflecting his desire to preserve a route back to Spain.
Atletico’s opening offer, worth an estimated £26-30million, was rejected by Tottenham, but Simeone’s side are working on an improved proposal and remain confident of getting a deal done.
Romero’s agents working quietly on Barcelona move
While Atletico do the concrete work, reports via Sport Witness state that Romero’s entourage have also been quietly keeping Barcelona informed of every twist in the saga, hoping the Catalan giants will eventually be tempted to make a serious move of their own.
The links carry an extra layer of logic given Barcelona’s defensive situation. Having sanctioned Ronald Araujo’s loan exit to Liverpool, Hansi Flick’s side are now short of centre-back options and are known to be assessing the market for a like-for-like replacement, with Romero’s profile as an aggressive, experienced World Cup winner ticking plenty of boxes on paper.
Club | Credibility | Likelihood |
|---|---|---|
Atletico Madrid | High – active negotiations, revised bid incoming, Romero’s stated preference | Very likely |
Inter Milan | Low – agreement in place but collapsed due to failed Pavard sale | Unlikely, unless funds are freed up |
Barcelona | Low-medium – entourage pushing behind scenes, but Rodri remains priority | Unlikely for now |
Arsenal | Low – previously “seriously explored” but rivalry makes this the least likely route | Very unlikely |
According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari, Romero’s camp are updating Barcelona on developments in the hope the club’s priorities shift before the window closes. For now, though, Barcelona’s focus lies elsewhere, with Longari naming Rodri as the club’s current number one target, leaving Romero someway down their list of priorities despite the ongoing dialogue.
Barcelona have been credited with interest in Romero before, and the door is not considered completely closed, but there has been no decisive move from the Camp Nou to suggest they are ready to gatecrash the race in the closing weeks of the window.
Arsenal also lurking as shock destination
Adding another layer of intrigue to an already chaotic saga, Arsenal have also been mentioned as admirers of Romero as they seek cover for William Saliba, with reports suggesting the Gunners have seriously monitored the centre-back’s situation given his leadership qualities and Premier League pedigree.
A move across North London would represent one of the more sensational transfers of the summer, echoing Sol Campbell’s controversial switch from Tottenham to Arsenal in 2001.
Any move to Arsenal remains considered the least likely outcome given the fierce rivalry between the two clubs, but Romero’s representatives are understood to have held informal conversations regardless, keeping all options alive as the World Cup winner’s protracted departure from north London edges closer to a conclusion.
Tottenham have already moved to prepare for life without their captain regardless of which suitor eventually wins the race, having brought in Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton and Marcos Senesi on a free transfer from Bournemouth, while Micky van de Ven is also expected to sign a new long-term deal to further strengthen Spurs’ defensive options once Romero’s exit is finally confirmed.
