Thomas Frank will be starting to accelerate his plans for next season at Tottenham Hotspur with pre-season now just around the corner.
The former Brentford boss faces a massive task at Tottenham Hotspur, trying to get them back on track in the Premier League whilst also attempting to make them competitive in the Champions League.
The Danish manager will also be hoping that the North London club will soon start to make moves in the transfer window, following what has been a slow start.
The Lilywhites had already signed James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario by this stage of the window after the appointment of Ange Postecoglou.
The 51-year-old has now decided that he wants to build his team around one of Spurs’ current stars, but there is one reason why that could be rather tricky.
Thomas Frank wants to build around Cristian Romero
Thomas Frank is keen to make Cristian Romero one of the key components of his new team at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, according to Alasdair Gold.
TBR Football understands that Atletico Madrid are trying to sign Romero this summer and are now making a big push to do so.
The World Cup winner’s stance over leaving Spurs at this stage remains unclear, but Frank must try to convince him that staying in N17 will be a great option for him.
Gold told Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham: “I think the key thing for me is that Thomas Frank really wants to keep him; he wants him to become a lynchpin of this new look Tottenham going forward. He can absolutely be that.
“With two years left, Spurs have still got the power, so it doesn’t really matter too much if the player is absolutely desperate and anxious to leave – I’m not saying he is.
“It could be that Romero feels like he wants a shot at the Champions League at Spurs, it may be that he feels he’s got enough time in his career to head off to La Liga at a later stage. But we’ll need to hear from him and not put words in his mouth.”
“But we certainly know that the club and Thomas Frank want to keep him.”
Romero, who’s been called ‘exceptional’, could be superb under Frank given his aggressive playing style and ability on the ball.
Tottenham must stand firm over Cristian Romero valuation
For their part, Tottenham must try to stand firm over Romero, who cost £42m, and not allow the defender to leave for under his valuation this summer.
The defender’s performances in the Europa League, and especially the final, highlight why he is seen as one of the best defenders in world football.
If the North London club decide to sell him, then Romero’s value must reflect how important he is to the team and his status in the game.
The Lilywhites should be demanding that Atletico Madrid pay a transfer fee that would see him break into the top five most expensive defenders.