This season has felt like one long nightmare for Tottenham Hotspur.
On top of losing a staggering 20 games in the Premier League, Ange Postecoglou will now be without James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski for the club's Europa League final next week.
Moreover, on top of losing player after player through injury during the campaign this year, they now look like they're going to lose one of their most important in the transfer window: Cristian Romero.
However, it is not all doom and gloom, as recent reports have linked them with a Premier League star who could be the ideal replacement.
Tottenham transfer news
Unfortunately, in the last few months, a number of reports have emerged touting Romero for a move to La Liga this summer, with Atlético Madrid being his supposed destination last month.
It was even said that the Argentine defender had personally spoken to Diego Simeone about the purported move.
However, in the last few days, the World Cup winner's supposed destination has changed to Real Madrid, with reports claiming that Xabi Alonso is a big fan of the player, who could be sold for around £60m.
While this situation is far from ideal, the good news is that the North Londoners have been linked with someone who could be an ideal replacement: Marc Guéhi.
Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Spurs have maintained their strong interest in the full England international following their failed £70m bid for him in early February.
Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that Chelsea and Newcastle United are keen to sign the Crystal Palace star, who could be available for a pretty reasonable fee of around €55m, which is about £46m.
It might be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Guéhi's ability and the potential departure of Romero, Spurs should do all they can to get it done.
Why Guéhi would be a great replacemnet
So, if Spurs cannot keep hold of Romero this summer and are forced to shop for a replacement, why would Guéhi be such a great option?
Well, first of all, not only is he vastly experienced for someone who is still just 24 years old, but he's also thoroughly Premier League-proven at this point and someone clearly quite sought-after.
For example, across his career to date, the "exceptional" centre-back, as dubbed by The Athletic's Stuart James, has made 132 top-flight appearances, 52 in the Championship, 15 in the FA Cup and a handful more in several other competitions.
On top of that, the 6 foot "tank," as dubbed by former England U21 teammate Joe Bursik, is now a full member of the national team, making 23 appearances since his debut in March 2022, and most crucially, was an ever-present in the country's backline when they made it all the way to the final of the European Championships last year.
Furthermore, while the Lilywhites' Argentine warrior has missed a staggering 75 games for club and country across his career, the former Chelsea prospect has missed just 16, and you know what they say: availability is the best ability.
Finally, if that's still not enough to convince you, then perhaps his rather impressive underlying numbers will.
According to FBref, the Palace ace sits in the top 3% of centre-backs in Europe's top five leagues for through ball, the top 4% for passes blocked, the top 5% for goal-creating actions through a defensive action, the top 9% for goals plus assists, key passes and shot-creating actions, the top 11% for expected assists and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, replacing a player as talented Romero is always going to be difficult, but Guéhi looks like he could get pretty close, and therefore, Spurs must do what they can to sign him this summer.