Tottenham transfer news: Inter Milan 'set deadline' to complete Cristian Romero signing

Inter Milan have reportedly set a 10-day deadline to complete a deal for Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero.

The Argentina international is yet to return to Spurs for pre-season following his run to the World Cup final, but he may have already played his last match for the Lilywhites.

Romero has been tipped to return to Serie A for a number of months now, and Inter have been leading the race to bring the former Juventus and Atalanta BC man back to Italy's top flight.

In recent days, Arsenal and Chelsea have also been linked with a shock move for Romero, but a switch across London is not expected to materialise in the coming weeks.

Instead, Inter are keen to sign the defender on a permanent deal during the current window - according to FCInterNews - rather than negotiating a loan with a conditional obligation in 2027.

Inter Milan 'set 10-day deadline' for Cristian Romero deal

© Imago / PHOTOxPHOTO

The Nerazzurri are said to be optimistic of closing a deal, as contrary to previous reports, Spurs are not demanding as much as €50m (£42.7m) to sanction his exit.

Instead, Inter's desired fee of €40m (£34.2m) could be enough to twist Tottenham's arm, but the Serie A giants want the saga to end within the next 10 days.

Even if Spurs and Inter cannot reach an agreement inside the next 10 days, the Nerazzurri will move on to other targets, such is their desire to bolster their defence quickly.

Romero is under contract at Tottenham until the summer of 2029, but Spurs will not stand in his way of an exit for the right price, given their apparent mutual agreement that a separation is the best move for all parties.

Inter have already signed Manuel Akanji on a permanent deal from Manchester City, but Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij have both departed on free transfers.

What will Cristian Romero's Tottenham legacy be?

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Loved and hated in equal measure during his time at Tottenham, Romero has perpetually divided opinion among the Spurs fanbase, although he is in more bad books than good books right now.

The 28-year-old hit the headlines for the wrong reasons when he flew back to Argentina before Tottenham's final-day game against Everton last season; the game that Spurs won to secure Premier League survival.

Romero got back in time to watch the match, but the damage had already been done in the eyes of many Tottenham supporters, who have also witnessed the South American receive six red cards in his Spurs career; more than any other Premier League player since his debut.

At his best, Romero is a tough-tackling, aggressive defender with a penchant for goals and assists, as he came up with crucial efforts in 2-2 draws with Burnley and Newcastle United last season, while also captaining the club to Europa League glory the year before.

However, the Argentine's long-standing disciplinary issues and pre-Everton controversy means that many Tottenham fans would gladly see the back of him.