Barcelona have now made contact regarding a summer deal for a Tottenham Hotspur star, with ENIC ready to sanction a move for £52m.
De Zerbi wants "important" role in Tottenham's summer recruitment
The summer transfer window may be one of the last things on Roberto De Zerbi's mind right now, given that Premier League safety is yet to be secured, with the relegation battle set to go down to the final day, after the 2-1 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
With one game remaining, Tottenham are two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United, which means they are near-certain to avoid the drop if they pick up a draw against Everton at the weekend, given the disparity in the goal difference.
When the division Spurs will be playing in next season is confirmed, they will be able to start making plans for the summer, and De Zerbi has made it clear he wants a say in the recruitment.
The Italian said: "I think every coach wants to be important in the transfer market, to find the connection with the sporting director, with the board of the club, because everyone works for the good of the club, not for ourselves. But it’s not important now."
Since replacing Igor Tudor, De Zerbi has spoken highly of captain Cristian Romero, saying: "He is an amazing guy because he has been a great captain in my time even though he didn’t play. We are talking by phone and when he stay here, every morning he came in my office and he was inside of the season."
However, a summer departure is now on the cards, with ENIC ready to cash-in.
Barcelona make approach to sign Romero
According to a report from Spain (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are planning to let Romero leave in the upcoming window, regardless of whether they are able to stay in the Premier League.
Should Spurs manage to get over the line in the relegation battle, the Argentinian will have a price tag of €60m (£52m), but that figure will drop significantly if they go down to the second tier. Either way, his suitors believe the defender ‘will definitely leave’.
Barcelona have made contact to sign the defender, and they are still waiting for a response from his agent, but the La Liga heavyweights unwilling to pay the steep asking price so will 'only' offer a player-plus-cash bid.
It has been a dismal campaign for Tottenham, and their captain hasn't done them any favours at times, being sent off twice in the Premier League.
However, the Argentina international has been one of the best of a bad bunch, with an average FotMob match rating of 7.06 in the Premier League ranking him third in the squad.