Tottenham have a huge cloud hanging over them regarding Cristian Romero’s future.
Romero has proven to be one of Spurs’ most important players since his arrival from Atalanta, with the defender named Player of the Tournament in the UEFA Europa League last season.
However, the Argentine’s time at Tottenham has not been without its challenges, including various injuries and disciplinary setbacks and occasional veiled criticisms directed toward the Spurs hierarchy.
The centre-back has recently been the subject of interest from Atletico Madrid, having previously stated his desire to challenge himself in La Liga.
However, the Spanish side’s valuation of Romero falls well below Daniel Levy’s, who is reluctant to sell the World Cup winner.
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Before Tottenham would agree to any transfer regarding Romero, they would have to find a suitable replacement to step in alongside Micky van de Ven.
Tottenham have already secured Kevin Danso on a permanent deal and look set to sign Kōta Takai in the coming days, but neither possesses Romero’s quality, especially on the ball.
The 27-year-old’s calm demeanour with the ball and ability to make line-breaking passes set him apart from almost every centre-back in the world, while his front-footed defending and aggression is hard to replicate.
Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite was identified by Spurs as having similar qualities and was mooted as a potential replacement for Romero.
The England international has shown leadership qualities and an assuredness at the back that belie his age, and he possesses all the required on-ball qualities required in a modern defender.
However, Everton confirmed on X (2 July) that the centre-back has signed a new contract with the Toffees, extending his stay on Merseyside to 2030.
This almost guarantees the 22-year-old won’t be joining Tottenham this summer, meaning that Romero’s departure from Tottenham could now be off the cards, unless Spurs can identify another potential replacement.
Spurs can show a similar statement of intent with Romero
The extension of Branthwaite’s contract on Merseyside shows a clear statement of intent from the Blues that they are keen to push on under their new owners, the Friedkin Group.
It will encourage other ambitious players to join the club and gives Everton a solid foundation to build on.
Tottenham could send out exactly the same signal if they keep Romero this summer and even more so if they lock him down to a longer deal.
It would give Thomas Frank a massive boost as he starts a new era at Spurs to keep such an accomplished and ambitious player and allow the Dane to focus on other key areas of the pitch instead.