Tottenham in 'advanced talks' for Roberto De Zerbi's first signing - but there's a catch
Tottenham's Premier League status is now precarious to say the least, but that hasn't stopped the Spurs hierarchy from planning for the upcoming summer transfer window
Tottenham are in advanced talks to sign Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi - but they'll have to stay in the Premier League. Senesi, 28, is out of contract at the end of this season and plans to join a new club as a free agent.
The Argentine will leave Bournemouth at the same time as his manager, Andoni Iraola, who the club confirmed earlier this week would be leaving upon the expiry of his own contract in June. Senesi has been linked with Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona and Juventus, but Tottenham are leading the race.
A report from the Athletic states that Spurs are in advanced talks to sign him on a free transfer. However, Senesi's switch hinges on whether or not Roberto De Zerbi's side avoid relegation.
Tottenham are currently 18th in the Premier League table, languishing two points from safety with five games to go. Although De Zerbi has vowed to stay if they go down to the Championship, attracting players of Senesi's calibre will be difficult.
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Spurs are also in talks to sign Andy Robertson when he leaves Liverpool on a free, but again the move is likely to depend on whether they're still a Premier League club by the time the summer transfer window opens. Senesi's impending arrival also puts the spotlight on Cristian Romero's future in North Kondon.
The Tottenham captain has been linked with an exit and came off in tears after suffering an injury during Sunday's 1-0 loss at Sunderland. Romero will now miss the remainder of this season and faces a race against time in order to be available for Argentina at the World Cup.
"First of all, Romero loves Tottenham, people have to know he's suffering for this injury, suffering because he can't play for us again this season," De Zerbi told a press conference ahead of Saturday's clash with his former club, Brighton.
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"He's a great captain for us. We have to be positive. We have Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso, they are able to play, to play well, to give us the quality with the ball and to be strong in the defensive space so we can win. We want to win."
Senesi joined Bournemouth from Dutch giants Feyenoord in 2022 for £10.5million and he's gone on to make more than 100 appearances on the south coast. The 28-year-old helped the Cherries achieve their joint-highest Premier League finish (ninth) last season.