Cristian Romero’s Tottenham exit is looking more and more likely this summer, with the club already deep in talks with Atletico Madrid over a deal. But the Argentine defender himself is said to be holding off on committing to that move.
Mundo Deportivo report that Romero is keeping a close eye on the situation at Barcelona, waiting to see if the Catalan club come calling once Ronald Araujo’s proposed loan switch to Liverpool goes through. The Spurs man has reportedly harboured a long-standing ambition to play for Barca and is a player sporting director Deco rates highly, though the final call sits with head coach Hansi Flick, who is still weighing up whether his defensive options actually need strengthening.
Flick is currently said to be content with what he has at his disposal, with Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin and Andreas Christensen serving as his main senior centre-backs, while Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia can also slot in centrally when needed. Alvaro Cortes is also being considered as a fourth option in that position. Should Flick have a change of heart and push for reinforcements, Romero could quickly rise to the top of Barcelona’s wishlist — though Athletic Club’s Aymeric Laporte is also said to be firmly on their radar and remains someone the club rate highly.
On the financial side, Tottenham are believed to value Romero at around €40 million, while Atletico’s opening offer has come in at roughly €30 million, leaving a noticeable gap between the two sides at this early stage of negotiations.
For now, Romero seems in no rush to make a decision, with the door to a possible Barcelona switch still very much open in his mind.
