There was already so much riding on Tottenham Hotspur's shot at ending their 17-year trophy drought, but Fabrizio Romano has thrown in another curveball.
Spurs meet Manchester United in Wednesday's Europa League final.
Beyond the desperation to win their first trophy since the Juande Ramos era and Ange Postecoglou potentially coaching for his job, Tottenham's performance could determine Cristian Romero's future with the club, as Wednesday's victors will also qualify for next season's Champions League.
"His contract at the moment is not even close to being extended. This is why the situation of Cuti Romero could be one to watch," Romano said on the Here We Go podcast. "In this case, I think Champions League football could have an impact on the future of the player. Let's see if Tottenham will be in the Champions League next season or not. This is going to be important."
Romero's future remains a major question mark, and it feels that for Tottenham to have any chance of retaining the World Cup-winning defender, they must get past Man United and secure Champions League qualification.
Tottenham need to beat Man United in Europa League final to avoid losing Cristian Romero this summer
Spurs' rumored interest in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is no coincidence. He would fill the void left by Romero, but wrestling the England international away from the new FA Cup champions won't be easy.
As Romano said, there has been interest from Spain in Romero. That's a potential hint at the speculation about Atletico Madrid.
To some extent, Tottenham hold the cards â Romero remains under contract for two more seasons.
However, if his heart is away from N17 and he has no interest in extending the deal, Spurs need to make a move now while they can demand top-of-the-market money. If nothing else, Daniel Levy must ensure Tottenham receive a massive transfer fee to reinvest into their depleted squad.
Spurs fans have accepted that Romero may push for his exit. A loss to Man United and an impending European competition-less season would likely seal his fate.
But if Spurs can remove the "It's only Tottenham" tag and take down Man United in Bilbao, maybe, just maybe, the prospect of Champions League football could make a new contract look a little sweeter for Romero.
A loss on Wednesday, and Levy may need to pick up the phone to Palace about Guehi.