Tottenham are reportedly lining up Genoa defender Koni de Winter to replace Cristian Romero, with the Argentina international said to be pushing for a move to Atletico Madrid. But the Lilywhites could hit an obstacle in their pursuit of De Winter as Bournemouth and Crystal Palace are also chasing his signature.
Tottenham, who are set to feature in next season’s Champions League, are on the hunt for fresh talent after appointing Thomas Frank as manager last month. At the start of July, it was reported that Romero would be telling Spurs chairman Daniel Levy that he intends to leave the club. That came after the centre-back aimed a thinly-veiled dig at his employers after Ange Postecoglou had been sacked.
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According to Tuttomercatoweb, the performances of De Winter haven’t gone unnoticed in England, and Tottenham will be especially interested in securing his services if Romero departs.
But there could be a flurry of clubs in for the 23-year-old, with Bournemouth and Palace also keen to bring him to the Premier League.
Inter Milan have been interested in the Belgium international for some time and have re-established contacts with the player, while Bologna have also moved on the star.
Genoa are said to value the player at £21.5m after signing him for less than £7m a year ago when they made his loan move from Juventus permanent.
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De Winter, who is strong and good in the air, predominantly plays at centre-back but can also slot in at right-back or as a defensive midfielder.
He is currently managed at Genoa by former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira and is considered to be one of the best up-and-coming defenders in Europe.
And he may be tempted by a move to England, despite the fact he is contracted to Genoa until the summer of 2028.
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A move for De Winter could hinge on Romero, who has also been linked with a move to Real Madrid. The 27-year-old has played 124 games for Tottenham since joining the club from Atalanta three years ago.
Atletico have reportedly put forward an offer of £47m plus £8.6m in add-ons for the tough-tackling defender which falls far below Tottenham’s valuation of £70m.
And the player may do all he can to force a move to Spain after appearing to take aim at his employers in an emotional message to Postecoglou.
“You’re a fantastic coach, but above all, a great person who deserves the best,” Romero wrote on social media. “From day one you paved the way despite the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist. Beyond everything, we won a trophy and went down in the history of this beautiful club, which is the only thing that matters. I wish you the best because you deserve the best.”