Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham was among those who spoke at the annual fan forum, held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night, and he was particularly bullish over one piece of business conducted by the club in the summer.
Vinai joined Spurs as CEO in April, having spent a long while in Arsenal's hierarchy down the road. His ties to our bitter rivals would render him easy to dislike, but Vinai has so far spoken with impressive clarity on a range of topics amid a period of significant change in N17.
Those who attended the forum were once again impressed with the CEO's ability to communicate with precision at Thursday's forum. Thomas Frank, Ben Davies, Johan Lange and Bethany England were also on stage, as was Cristian Romero.
Having been linked with a move away following Ange Postecoglou's exit amid interest from Atlético Madrid, Romero's subsequent contract extension was a major coup for the Lilywhites. Frank named him his captain ahead of the UEFA Super Cup, and the Dane has benefited from his availability at the start of the new season.
New Cristian Romero contract was 'best deal' of the summer window
Vinai reportedly played a key role in ensuring Romero comitted his future to the club, with the defender now tied down until 2029.
While I wasn't at the forum and don't have the context in which the CEO brought this up, Vinai was quoted by several aggregator accounts on X, including Last Word On Spurs, as saying that Romero's new contract was the "best deal in world football this summer."
Son Heung-min's departure means the Argentine international is now the club's highest-paid player, and his newfound responsibility, which started when Ange named him one of his vice-captains two years ago, have helped Romero harness the aggression that once proved a source of frustration.
He's continued to prove at the start of 2025/26 that he's one of Europe's premier centre-backs, even if rival supporters remain adamant that he's a "hot head" who lacks discipline.
His partnership with Micky van de Ven proved key in our Europa League success last season, and the pair have started together in every Premier League match so far this term. As a result, Frank's resilient Lilywhites have the joint-second best defensive record in the division.
Retaining Romero's fitness could decide how far Spurs go this season, although Van de Ven is equally important to the club's success. Both have been ravaged by injuries over the past two years, but there's hope that under the new regime, the pair will be better protected.