Tottenham could be forced to say goodbye to one of their highly-rated players this summer.
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One Tottenham star is already said to have given a green light for an exit this summer. Spurs are likely to have some big decisions to make this summer, with Ange Postecoglou being the biggest of them all.
Whether Tottenham win the Europa League or not, Tottenham must decide whether to stick or twist with Postecoglou after what has been a disastrous campaign. The North London club still haven’t surpassed their record-low points tally, and while they can still qualify for Europe and secure silverware along the way, Postecoglou still has to answer for what has been a historically bad league campaign.
The Spurs board will have to decide whether the punishment for that involves the Australian’s P45, but regardless, there is going to have to be significant recruitment and likely a handful of departures, given the poor performance this squad has managed this season - albeit with the caveat of disastrous luck with injuries.
One player who could leave is centre-back Cristian Romero, who would be a very high profile departure as one of the club’s most expensive players. Romero has arguably fallen short of expectations during his time at the club, with some fans arguing that he has saved the best of his application for international games.
Romero has also been critical of the Tottenham board, calling out the decision-makers at the club and largely because of their lack of investment. The defender is now being linked with an exit, and a report from Spain has claimed Romero has already given the green light to an exit. Journalist Rubén Uría has reported that Romero has agreed terms with Atletico Madrid on a deal lasting five years with the option of a further year.
But while the Argentine might be ‘thrilled’ at the possibility of joining Atleti, there have been no formal negotiations between the two clubs at this stage, according to the report. Fichajes report that Tottenham want £49.2million to sell Romero this summer, while Atletico are only said to be willing to pay £33.9million. Romero is under contract until 2027 as things stand, so Tottenham hold the cards in negotiations, although the defender pushing for a way out could complicate things.
Spurs should cut ties with Romero
It seems clear that Romero is not on board with Tottenham’s project, whatever that project may be. Can you blame him? That’s a subjective question, but the 27-year-old wants to win trophies, and Spurs don’t look like doing that consistently.
The Argentine is a high quality player, but whether he is an elite Premier League defender is another question. He has struggled with defensive discipline at times, and many have questioned his level of effort in certain games.
That’s all good enough evidence to sell a player if Tottenham can get at least £40million, and you can bet Daniel Levy will find a way to get a good fee, given his skills at the negotiation table. Whatever comes next for Spurs, they need a starting XI made up of players who are all in, and Romero does not fit into that. That is the bottom line.