Daniel Levy’s continued standoff with Cristian Romero threatens to derail Tottenham’s summer.
Levy has been the target of veiled criticism from the Argentine and was disappointed to hear Romero speak about his desire to compete in La Liga midway through last season.
Diego Simeone did Spurs no favours in publicly stating that he was a massive fan of the central defender and would love to bring him to Spain.
Levy must now decide how to handle Romero, who has two years left on his contract, and his decision may not be what the highly-rated centre-back hopes to hear.
Levy is unwilling to sell Romero for less than £70m
Levy has never been someone to bow to pressure, and his resolute approach saw the 63-year-old manage to sell Harry Kane for a deal reportedly worth up to £100million despite the England captain having only one year left on his contract.
MORE SPURS STORIES
The Tottenham Chairman is expected to be similarly bullish about Romero, especially given the vice-captain’s clear influence on the Lilywhites’ fortunes.
Levy is not looking to sell the 27-year-old and will not entertain an offer below £70million this summer, as reported by The Times (30 June).
This is far above Atletico Madrid’s valuation, and would essentially price Simeone out of being able to sign his compatriot.
This will not sit well with Spurs’ centre-back and could push Romero closer to submitting an official transfer request, which could result in a very ugly exit.
This protracted saga is doing Thomas Frank and the rest of the team no favours in terms of planning, and could even have much more profound ramifications if it ruins the harmony within the squad.
Spurs should sell Romero this summer if he rejects a new contract
The most essential criterion in a good defensive unit is forging strong relationships with fellow teammates, which takes time to build.
If Romero does not commit to a contract extension at Hotspur Way, he should be sold this summer. Staying for maybe one or even two seasons before departing would once again derail Tottenham.
Centre-back is arguably where Tottenham have the most depth, even before the impending arrival of Kōta Takai.
Frank would be much better off focusing on players who will be part of Spurs’ long-term future and concentrating on developing those partnerships, specifically looking for the ideal partner for Micky van de Ven.