Tottenham are undergoing a major transfer rebuild this summer and one of their club legends believes there must be a significant departure
Chris Waddle believes Tottenham must sell "negative" Cristian Romero after what he claims was a "bizarre" move to make him captain.
Romero has been heavily tipped to leave Spurs this summer after a difficult season at the club and particularly with Roberto De Zerbi pushing for the quick signings of £52million Jan Paul van Hecke, who plays in the Argentine's position, and the skipper's compatriot and fellow centre-back Marcos Senesi on a free transfer.
The club captain was absent from the Lilywhites' promotional material for their new home and away kits as they were launched on Friday and towards the end of the campaign De Zerbi was unable to confirm that Romero would remain at the north London club next season.
Waddle, who played 170 games on the wing for Tottenham across four years, believes this transfer window should be the end of Romero's time at his old side and believes the 28-year-old never truly fit the club.
"They got Jan-Paul van Hecke from Brighton and Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth, so they should be looking to move Cristian Romero on. He's never been a Tottenham player for me, he's often negative, prone to injuries and doesn't fit the club.
"I think Romero is very negative as a captain. For example, he was wanting to watch his local team in Argentina during the final game of the season, while Tottenham were fighting for their lives against Everton.
"He’s the club captain, you want him to be a source of support. Instead, you see him picking up silly yellow and red cards. He’s always negative. For example, in January, he took to social media to complain about Tottenham’s transfer activity, which isn't what a captain should do, you’ve got to back the club," Waddle said to Andy's Bet Club.
"In previous years, we had players like Gary Mabbutt and Steve Perryman who were Tottenham through and through. Romero doesn't look like he wants to be here, with all the talk about Atletico Madrid and elsewhere. His body language suggests he doesn't want to be at Tottenham Hotspur.
"If they get a reasonable offer, I would look to move him on. He doesn't come across as a Tottenham player to me. I was surprised when they offered him a four-year contract and then gave him the captaincy, it was bizarre.
"He’s a good centre-half, I'm not saying he's not. He's a very good player, he's a World Cup winner. but to me he's never looked as if his heart's been in it."
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Waddle has pinpointed a new creative attacking midfielder as the player De Zerbi desperately needs this summer to get Spurs firing again next season.
"I think they definitely need a number 10. They need a creator. I know James Maddison is back from injury and if he could play that role, then fine. They've got [Lucas] Bergvall and other players.
"What surprises me about Tottenham is that people are saying you have to keep Joao Palhinha and others, but they have been in the bottom five for two years. They switched on at the end of the season to stay up, but where were they for the other 34 or 35 games? What happened? You have to question the players. Why did they only turn it on for the last four games? What happened during the rest of the season?" he said.
"That answers the question for me. It’s not just one year, they have been struggling at the bottom of the table for two years now. You have to question the mentality of these players. Are they really up for the fight? Do they have what it takes to wear the Tottenham shirt?
"There is a lot of pressure when you put on that jersey; the expectations are very high. When I looked at that squad, I didn't see many players who stood out or had a good season. Yet, at the end of the season, everyone was celebrating just because they stayed up."
He added: "Two years in a row, they should never be in that position at Tottenham Hotspur. You have to question the players: first, are they good enough? Second, why aren't they performing? It comes down to whether it's a mental or physical issue, or simply if they aren't good enough. It's as simple as that.
"We are talking about a top-four or top-five team, that is where they should be. You have to ask why those players aren't at that level. Ultimately, you have to question if they are good enough, and the last two years have provided the answer: they aren't."