Tottenham have agreed a €40 million (£34m) deal to sell Cristian Romero to Inter, according to reports in Argentina.
Romero has spent five seasons with Tottenham and was made captain by Thomas Frank a year ago following Son Heung-min’s departure.
The 28-year-old has privately expressed his desire to leave Spurs this summer but despite attracting intertest from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, a move is yet to materialise.
According to ESPN Argentina, Romero is now a step closer as Spurs have reached a verbal agreement with Serie A side Inter over a €40m (£34m) deal for the Argentina international.
However, the report adds Romero is yet to reach an agreement over personal terms with Inter, who signed John Stones on a free transfer earlier this week.
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When asked about Romero’s future after Spurs’ 2-1 win over Chelsea in their pre-season friendly in Sydney on Saturday, Roberto De Zerbi said: ‘I texted with Cuti yesterday to make a plan for when he comes back to London. Not for the transfer market. That’s not my job. I know there are many solutions in the transfer market.’
Spurs, meanwhile, have already strengthened De Zerbi’s defensive options this summer with the signings of Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi.
Speaking earlier this week, De Zerbi said he would respect Romero’s desire to leave Spurs.
‘At the beginning of my time, in April, I had, I don’t know, one million individual meetings,’ De Zerbi said.
‘And [the players] told me what was their idea. I said: ‘Yes, help me to stay up, and then I help you to leave’. If you don’t help me to stay up, you stay underwater with me!
‘But Romero with me was unbelievable. Top… in his behaviour, his respect, he suffered when he did not play the last game. It is not true that he wanted to leave for Argentina to prepare for their World Cup. It’s not true.
‘After the semi-final [against England] we text a message, but I never called him to convince him to stay. I respected what he told me. Like for Vicario, like for every player.
‘Romero as a player is one of the best centre-backs in the world, but at the end I said I want to respect the will of the players.’
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