Tottenham are preparing for a mass summer overhaul and are ready to sell captain Cristian Romero to finance a rebuild regardless of what league they end up in, with Atletico Madrid among his admirers
Tottenham Hotspur could offload captain Cristian Romero this summer, irrespective of which division they find themselves in. The north London side have suffered a dreadful season and are staring down the barrel of Championship football.
Spurs currently sit in 16th place in the Premier League, sitting just one point clear of the relegation places, following the appointment of Igor Tudor to replace Thomas Frank. Despite uncertainty surrounding their league status for next term, club hierarchy are prepared to launch a wholesale squad overhaul ahead of the new campaign.
According to The Telegraph, Argentine centre-back Romero is amongst those who could be moved on to fund a reconstruction. The 27-year-old initially sought an exit last summer, but Spurs remained resolute over their asking price.
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Romero ultimately put pen to paper on fresh terms and was awarded the armband. However, he has experienced a difficult campaign since, having been absent for six matches due to suspension, whilst he also took to social media to voice criticism of the club's operations.
He posted: "Great effort from all my teammates yesterday, they were incredible. I wanted to be available to help them even though I wasn't feeling well, especially since we only had 11 players available - unbelievable but true and disgraceful.
"We'll keep showing up and taking responsibility to turn this around, working hard and staying together. All that's left is to thank all of you for being there and for always supporting us, the fans."
He continued: "At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well.
"We'll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football."
Spurs have now reached the view that a separation might prove beneficial for all concerned. Atletico Madrid - who Tottenham face in the Champions League last 16 - are amongst those monitoring his situation should the defender opt to depart.
Romero arrived from Atalanta in 2021, initially on a temporary basis but with an option to secure a permanent transfer. Spurs ultimately completed the deal, with the Argentine having since featured 152 times for the club.
He is not the only star potentially on the market this summer. It is also understood that Spurs would be willing to entertain offers for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and full-back Pedro Porro.