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Atletico Madrid are interested in two out-of-form Tottenham stars
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Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid are believed to be upping the ante in their pursuit of highly-rated Tottenham Hotspur duo Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur.
The pair both played a key role in helping Ange Postecoglou’s side record a fifth place finish last term, with Romero in particular impressing in the former Celtic bosses system with five goals in 33 appearances in a campaign where the Lilywhites looked to be moving back in the right direction with a more expansive style of football. However, both have regressed this season due to a combination of form, injuries, suspension and a general loss of confidence from those around them on the pitch.
The pair are currently a part of a team languishing in 16th position in the league and are on course for the club’s lowest finish since their relegation in 1977.
The only thing saving Postecoglou’s job for the time being and keeping their season alive is the fact that they could still qualify for Europe’s elite competition by winning the Europa League, but they would first have to get past Bodo/Glimt over two legs before facing either Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao in the final.
What does the future hold for Romero and Bentancur?
Cristian Romero has already shown a willingness to embark on a fresh challenge, having publicly confirmed a desire to head to Spain, as reported by journalist Gaston Edu in an exclusive interview with the Argentine.
Romero is admired by Diego Simeone, according to Give Me Sport and is seen as the calibre of player that could help aid his team’s title push next season as they aim to knock Real Madrid and Barcelona off their perch next year. A report from Spain has explained that it will not be easy for Atletico Madrid to sign Romero, however, with the North London club seeking £68m and Atletico only wanting to play around £34m - £42m, via Mundo Deportivo.
Meanwhile, Bentancur is also thought to be on Simeone’s radar. The Uruguayan has struggled for form this season with just two league goals in 23 appearances, and has had his campaign marred through a seven-game-suspension for allegedly making a racist comment toward his teammate Son Heung-min.
It’s not currently clear if he has a future at North London with uncertainty surrounding Postecoglou and a big clearout in the pipeline over the summer.
The bold swap deal Tottenham could look to strike
Tottenham are likely to consider the sale of either Cristian Romero or Rodrigo Bentancur in the summer window and could aim to facilitate the deal by making a move of their own for Atletico midfielder Conor Gallagher. The England international came through the Chelsea academy and played 95 times for his boyhood club across all competitions, scoring 10 goals and making 10 assists before leaving to join Atletico in a £36m deal.
Gallagher captained Chelsea in his final season under ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino and was seen as a key part of the team that finished sixth due to his excellent workrate, leadership and ability to break up opposition attacks. It’s an area that Spurs have lacked this season, with summer signing Archie Gray rarely playing in his natural midfield position and the likes of Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and Bentancur all failing to hit the heights expected of them and Lucas Bergvall still being early in his career at 19.
Gallagher has played 42 times in the Spanish capital across all competitions, scoring four and assisting five, and he’s started 26 of those games.
He’s a player, described as a ‘pitbull’ by Spanish media due to his ability to thrive in physical battles and work hard for his team. Last year, (via fbref) he made the 11th most combined tackles and interceptions in the league (112) and made the joint third most tackles in the attacking third of the pitch (17) which shows he suits playing in a team with a high press which is something Postecoglou (if he’s still in the dugout) teams are renowned for doing.