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Cristian Romero has the potential to dictate just how far Thomas Frank can take his project in north London, and confirmation of his contract extension is the most significant news of Tottenham's summer.

There was supposed to be a revolt in N17 in the wake of Ange Postecoglou's controversial departure following Europa League glory in Bilbao. Romero, so close to the former boss and his vice-captain, was among those ready to kick up a fuss and force a move away.

The 27-year-old has previously spoken about his desire to one day play in Spain, and interest from Atletico Madrid was surely no coincidence. Teaming up with compatriot Diego Simeone in the Spanish capital once seemed inevitable.

However, as Atleti's interest eventually faded, it became clear that Romero was ready to commit to Spurs, or, as the man himself puts it, "the best club in the world". He was the obvious successor to Son Heung-min as captain, and his interview after Frank's decision pointed towards an incredibly proud figure who has become one with the Lilywhites.

Monday's news was merely a matter of time.

Tottenham confirm significant Cristian Romero contract extension

Spurs confirmed that Romero, whose previous deal was expiring in two summers' time, has extended his contract that'll now keep him at the club until 2029. Four more years of Cuti, eh?

The Argentine was once slandered for his penchant for madness, and has frustrated supporters with fitness woes in more recent times, but his place in Lilywhite folklore was secure with what he produced during the latter stages of last season's continental campaign.

Romero was the Player of the Match in the Europa League final, and later named the competition's Player of the Season.

We can only hope he stays injury-free for much of 2025/26, with his importance to Frank's side now even greater, given that he dons the armband. Still, I have noted throughout the summer that sorting out Romero's contract was perhaps the most important bit of business Spurs would conduct this summer, and Monday's news is nothing short of mammoth.

Had the situation dragged, we undoubtedly would've been fearing a potential La Liga move next summer, but Romero's new deal means we can relax on that front. We have total control.

Now, we can properly look forward to the Frank era with one of the world's best centre-backs marshalling our backline. The extra pieces in attack are very much necessary before the window slams shut, but tying down Romero for the long haul is a statement of Tottenham's intent with their new manager.

Tottenham Hotspur are close to signing Eberechi Eze as their new attacking midfielder to replace an injuerd James Maddison, though Eze has been so good for Crystal Palace over the past two seasons, including winning an FA Cup, that he will most likely be the new starting No. 10 going forward.

And Tottenham still aren't done pursuing a top winger to join Mohammed Kudus as new additions in a post-Son Heung-min world at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Their current target of choice is Savinho of Manchester City, and there remains optimism that Spurs can secure the signing of the talented young Brazilian forward.

Despite keeping Cristian Romero and even extending him for four more years as their new captain, Tottenham have still been linked to center backs, especially ones versatile enough to play another position. There is no player that appeals more to Tottenham as a future superstar than left back/center back Piero Hincapie, who can play virtually anywhere along the back line in a back three or a back four.

Tottenham were recently linked to Hincapie, who has been one of the Bundesliga's biggest young gems over the past couple of seasons, drawing interest from virtually every top club in European foobtall like Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Chelsea.

Tottenham can always try next year

Unfortunately for Tottenham, it appears the links will end as quickly as they came up. According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, Bayer Leverkusen currently have "no intention to sell" the 23-year-old defender, whose price tag would have been a minimum 60 million euros for Tottenham, Chelsea, or any other European power.

Now, Hincapie could be available next summer as a possible left back and center back solution for Spurs, so it's not necessarily a bad thing that Hincapie isn't available to transfer for anyone this summer.

There's also the question of fit to ponder here. Hincapie is a very talented footballer, and while he's become less prone to defensive lapses, he's still not the best pure defender. And while he is tremendous on the ball as a passer and dribbler for a center back, is he really that attacking to be a proper left back? Would he really start over Djed Spence or Destiny Udogie purely as a left back? He could, but for a cost of 60 million euros, you'd want to have a more definitive answer to that question.

Ultimately, Fab's news that Leverkusen won't be selling Hincapie this year is a blow to Spurs fans who were excited about the prospect of landing one of the most coveted and high-upside defenders in world football, but it may be a positive for Spurs in the end. Hincapie has volatile positives and negatives that must be weighed, and Spurs kicking the can on a decision to sign a player like this for 2026 may be more ideal anyway.

Tottenham Hotspur are coming off a tremendous opener to the 2025/26 Premier League season, tearing Burnley to bits 3-0 in a thoroughly professional performance that was above the standard of what you'd expect, even in a match against a newly promoted team likely to be sent right back down again at the end of the campaign.

Richarlison ran rampant and Mohammed Kudus showed more of his potential to be a special, special player for Spurs in a riot victory that was a great way for the North London giants to take out their frustrations from a blown UEFA Supercup Final against PSG.

Now, Tottenham turn their attention to their biggest transfer priorities, and it appears the most available top target for them to secure is local hero Eberechi Eze. According to The Sun's Jack Rosser and other journalists, Crystal Palace are willing to sell Eze to Tottenham once they are able to secure an attacking midfield replacement of their own.

That final hurdle to a transfer appears to be close to being cleared by the Eagles. Per reporting from Sky Sports Switzerland's Sacha Tavolieri, Crystal Palace are in "advanced negotiations" to sign Bilal El Khannouss as Eze's replacement. El Khannouss, interestingly enough, has been tossed around as a potential Plan B for Tottenham themselves if they were to miss out on Eze.

Tottenham are close to a 60 million pound agreement

Spurs have submitted a 60 million pound bid over the weekend, and, better yet, Tavolieri is also reporting that Tottenham and Crystal Palace are close to reaching a final transfer agreement on that fee. Eze has already given his green light to join Tottenham, meanwhile rivals Arsenal seem to be more focused on a left winger with Ethan Nwaneri likely splitting time at the 10 position with Martin Odegaard.

Barring an unforeseen setback, it appears Eze will soon be a Tottenham player, bringing a feel-good, established Premier League talent to the 10 position. And Eze has the athleticism, dribbling skills, ball progression, and all-around work rate to keep that starting job once James Maddison returns or even rotate minutes as a No. 8.

The best part for Tottenham is that the club will pay slightly less than they would have a couple of months ago. Eze had a 68 million pound release clause that expired on Friday, and there were many fans willing to activate it earlier in the transfer window. With Arsenal cooling their interest, Tottenham have less competition, and Palace appear to be willing to take a deal close to, but less than, the original clause.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is actively working on the deal to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, confirms Fabrizio Romano.

Last week, it was revealed that Tottenham suddenly took the lead in the race to sign Eberechi Eze. The Crystal Palace forward, who started and almost scored a peach of a free kick against Chelsea, now wants to move to Tottenham 'ASAP.'

Obviously, this is great news for Tottenham. Heck, they'd take the signing of Eze any day of the week. However, this transfer feels extra sweet for Spurs fans, considering the persistent links to Arsenal before Tottenham struck a deal.

As it stands, Tottenham has only struck a deal with the player himself. Yes, Eze wants to join Tottenham, and now Tottenham has Crystal Palace to deal with.

Steve Parish already said that Marc Guehi is available at the right price. His situation is similar to Eze, albeit Eze has a season longer on his contract, but surely Eze is in the same boat as Guehi.

Well, Tottenham will find out for sure today.

Daniel Levy speaks with Crystal Palace chairman today

According to an update from Fabrizio Romano, Daniel Levy is in active talks with Steve Parish, the Crystal Palace chairman, today. The two chairmen will be in direct conversations.

Spurs are prepared to offer around £55m, plus £5m in add-ons.

In his own words, Romano said: "Tottenham and Crystal Palace chairmen Daniel Levy and Steve Parish, in direct contact today for Eberechi Eze deal. I understand Spurs are willing to offer £55m fixed fee plus £5m add-ons to get the deal done. Eze informed Palace last week of his desire to join Tottenham."

Eberechi Eze would complete the Tottenham puzzle

You could argue, after watching Tottenham's impressive display over Burnley in the opening Premier League weekend, that Tottenham's business is complete. Spurs played excellent, and they scored three without reply.

One of the standout players was Mohammed Kudus. The Ghana international was signed from West Ham United, and he provided two assists on his league debut for Spurs.

However, Tottenham knows that more signings are needed. It is not sustainable to rely on the performance against a newly promoted team. Tougher challenges will come, and Tottenham must brace for it.

Part of bracing for those tougher challenges involves signing more creative players. Yes, Kudus is as creative as they come, but he can't do the job of two players from last season (Maddison and Son).

Eze has proven time and time again that he can dictate play and, more importantly, provide that final pass which sets his teammate free. If he can do this at Hotspur Way, Thomas Frank will be a happy man.

Tottenham kicks off the 2025/26 Premier League campaign against Burnley. The newly promoted side will be looking to teach Thomas Frank a thing or two, but Tommy will have already rehearsed those lessons a million times over in his head.

Burnley is managed by a pretty familiar face, as far as Tottenham is concerned. Scott Parker manages the Clarets, and he led them back to the Premier League, where he'll wish to stay. Given the poor history of promoted clubs in their first Premier League season back, his luck might be thin, but never say never in the Premier League.

As far as the Premier League is concerned, Tottenham cannot get any worse. If they drop any places from last season, they'll be relegated.

Of course, Tottenham heads into this season as Europa League champions, though. They were painstakingly close to being Super Cup champions too, so Frank has already proven he can compete with the big fish.

Look, the result wasn't flattering for Tottenham in the Super Cup. They would've much preferred to hold their lead, obviously. However, there were certainly bright moments and reason for Tottenham fans to be optimistic heading into the new season.

With a new manager but a relatively similar squad, Spurs hope to start this season on winning ways. Here's how you can watch action live.

How to watch Tottenham vs Burnley

Tottenham vs Burnley will not be televised in the UK and Ireland. However, for those who wish to listen along, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra will be providing live commentary.

Tottenham vs Burnley kicks off at 15:00 local time, which explains why the game is not available to watch in the UK and Ireland. Known colloquially as the "3pm blackout," it's a rule which prevents any game from being shown during this time slot, and extends until 17:15 (hence why most Saturday games kick off at 17:30).

In the USA, Tottenham vs Burnley can be streamed on Peacock. There will also be live commentary in the States, courtesy of SiriusXM FC.

In Australia, this match will be shown on Stan Sport.

In Canada, this game can only be streamed. It can either be streamed on DAZN or FuboTV.

Tottenham begin their 2025/26 Premier League campaign at home to newly-promoted Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Thomas Frank's tenure looked set to get off to the perfect start on Wednesday night, as his team led European champions Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 heading into the closing stages. Spurs had performed remarkably well in Udine, and were fully deserving of their advantage, but late Parisian pressure told and Luis Enrique's side took the UEFA Super Cup to penalties.

You don't need reminding of what happened next.

Despite the collapse, there were plenty of positives for Frank to take into the Premier League opener, where they'll be expected to set up in a completely different way compared to Wednesday night. The hosts are going to monopolise possession against a conservative Burnley outfit that achieved promotion as a result of their incredible defensive record in the second tier.

Led by former Lilywhite midfielder Scott Parker, the Clarets are hoping not to emerge as the next yo-yo club, although survival has become increasingly tough for promoted sides in recent years.

Here's our preview of Saturday's Premier League opener.

Tottenham vs Burnley: Preview, Prediction & Lineups

What time does Tottenham vs Burnley kick off?

Tottenham vs Burnley kicks off on Saturday 16 August at 15:00 BST.

When is kick off? Saturday 16 August, 2025

What time is kick off? 15:00 BST

Where is it played? Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Referee: Michael Oliver

Tottenham vs Burnley head-to-head record (last five games)

How to watch Tottenham vs Burnley on TV & live stream

Tottenham team news

There are no fresh concerns from the Super Cup, but Tottenham enter the new season without James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin. Destiny Udogie travelled to Udine with the squad but wasn't involved, and it seems unlikely for him to a play a part on Saturday.

Dominic Solanke returned from an ankle injury in the week, but Richarlison's impressive performance against PSG means he'll retain his place.

Frank is likely to shift to a 4-2-3-1 here, with ex-Burnley winger Wilson Odobert or Brennan Johnson poised to replace Kevin Danso. The midfield could remain unchanged, but Frank is welcoming back Yves Bissouma.

Tottenham predicted lineup vs Burnley: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kudus, Sarr, Odobert; Richarlison.

Burnley team news

Parker's Clarets are set to come to north London with a back five containing former Spurs full-back Kyle Walker, who could be a part of their back three.

Martin Dubravka, Lesley Ugochukwu and Jaiden Anthony are set to be in from the start for their Burnley debuts, while Armando Broja should feature off the bench. Lyle Foster will lead the line on Saturday.

Connor Roberts and Jordan Beyer were among those who picked up knocks in pre-season, but those two are seemingly ready to go for the start of the new season. Zeki Amdouni and Manuel Benson are long-term absentees.

Burnley predicted lineup vs Tottenham: Dubravka; Sonne, Walker, Ekdal, Esteve, Haartman; Hannibal, Culler, Ugochukwu, Anthony; Foster.

Tottenham vs Burnley score prediction

Tottenham played exceptionally well on Wednesday, but Frank will know that their Premier League opener will be an entirely different game. While Spurs had the personnel to match a rusty PSG through outstanding defensive work, whether they can take the game to a defensively sound Burnley outfit is a different matter.

The squad needs work, and in the absence of Maddison and Kulusevski, Frank's side are set to toil on Saturday.

It may take a set-piece or a bit of luck to get their campaign up and running.

Tottenham Hotspur will battle Burnley on Saturday afternoon in their 2025/26 Premier League season opener, and after they blew a 2-0 lead on Wednesday night in Udine in the UEFA Supercup Final against reigning Champions League winners PSG, they'll have more than just the chip on their shoulder from last season's 17th-placed finish.

Spurs final form isn't yet complete, as they are after Eberechi Eze, Savinho, and potentially other top transfer targets before the summer market closes on Sept. 1. Before that, Thomas Frank will get a good look at how his current crop fares against a much easier opponent.

Here are five players Frank absolutely has to start 100 percent on Saturday against Burnley and beyond, as these players will be central to his new era at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

RW Mohammed Kudus

Though RIcharlison did play well in his first game under Thomas Frank's management, there is no question that Mohammed Kudus was the most dangerous player on the pitch for Spurs against PSG and that the club's fortunes fell off a cliff after Kudus had to be subbed off.

You just know Kudus is going to run himself ragged for the White kit, and he clearly belongs with Tottenham. He gave it his all against PSG and was willing to try anything to create chances for not only himself but also for his teammates. Kudus just might be Spurs best non-defender right now.

CB Cristian Romero

Of course, the best player on Tottenham is Cristian Romero, who was the best player in the entire Europa League last season en route to handing Spurs their first major European trophy in more than 40 years.

Now the captain of the team after the departure of club legend Son Heung-min to Los Angeles, Romero is as important as ever to the Tottenham squad and the first name Frank pencils in his team sheet. Romero has a case for being the best center back in the world, and this needs to be the season that he makes that case loud and clear.

CM Pape Sarr

If Kudus was the best player on the pitch for Tottenham in Udine, then center midfielder Pape Sarr was a close second. Sarr has his limitations technically and is certainly never going to be confused with Andrea Pirlo, Paul Scholes, or Paul Pogba in midfield, but he is a different kind of asset to the Tottenham lineup with his determination and ball-winning.

Sarr did the work of three men against PSG, dominating the off-ball game against arguably the best midfield in European football. Just 22 years old, Sarr looks like he could be the biggest breakout midfielder of the season under Frank, who seems to know exactly how to use the Senegalese internatioanl to his full potential.

CB Micky van de Ven

Cristian Romero is Tottenham's star man, but Micky van de Ven isn't far behind him on the list of the best center backs in world football. The supremely gifted Dutch athlete has been sublime since stepping foot in North London after breaking out in the Bundesliga with corporate club Wolfsburg.

Van de Ven is a special athlete and a speed freak at center back who can even poach well-taken goals, as his opener against Lucas Chevalier can attest. The talented left-footer is worth his weight in platinum to Tottenham, and he and Romero are the benchmark tandem on this team.

RB Pedro Porro

It's flabbergasting how underrated Pedro Porro is on an international scale, because you have people who legitimately think that Diogo Dalot is better. It's hard to conjure the name of a Premier League right back who is definitively better than Porro, as the Spanish international is a sublime crosser of the ball while being a tremendous ball-winner and athlete defensively.

Porro stands head and shoulders above his peers and the opponent in so many matches, and he was as important as anyone in the road to the Europa League title. You have to think that with more output from the strikers under Frank, Porro will be richly rewarded with more stats and recognition of his own, too.

Liverpool will kick off the 2025/26 Premier League season as the reigning champions when they face off against surrpise package Bournemouth on Friday night. The Reds, of course, clinched their Premier League title in 2024/25 in as easy fashion as you'd expect, dog walking Tottenham Hotspur in a shameful performance that also highlighted how far Spurs standard had fallen in the league.

Of course, Tottenham recovered to win a major trophy of their own, outlasting fellow fallen giants Manchester United in the all-England European final few would have expected. Tottenham now begin the 2025/26 Premier League season with a new manager in Thomas Frank, as well as a new cast of signings to join the only big attacking addition of the summer so far in Mohammed Kudus.

Despite Spurs not having as active of a summer transfer window (yet), two Liverpool legends are backing Tottenham to have a strong 2025/26 season and bounce back after legitimately being one of the worst teams in the entire division last season.

The Premier League reached out to celebrities and legends of the league for their opinions on the season to come. Champions League and Premier League pundit - and former iconic Liverpool center back, in case you forgot - Jamie Carragher answered that he thinks Tottenham Hotspur will be this season's surprise package.

Tottenham need a top-five finish

Meanwhile, manager Steven Gerrard, arguably the greatest midfielder in the history of the league, placed Tottenham safely in the top five at the end of the season. Granted, they were only fifth, but when the vast majority of former players doing punditry for ESPN FC are putting Spurs behind the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle, Gerrard having a dissenting opinion feels good.

A lot of Tottenham's hopes are volatile and rest squarely on the shoulder of them making two major transfers before the window closes. If Spurs can't bag Savinho and Eberechi Eze or an alternative wide and central playmaker pairing to boost their ailing attack, then the top five may not be such a clincher.

But if they can, Gerrard's prediction of fifth may be an undersell of what Tottenham can do in 2025/26 under Frank, because Carragher may be onto something. Tottenham have just hired one of the finest tacticians in the league to a squad that still has the heart of Ange Postecoglou beating within them. With the right brush strokes before the window closes, Spurs could be headed for a special encore to their Europa League win in May.

Tottenham Hotspur couldn't quite close the deal and were left stunned after blowing a 2-0 lead to PSG in the UEFA Supercup Final, but before the wheels fell off as the starters exited the pitch and PSG's subs made the difference, Tottenham showed that they could go toe-to-toe with the best team in the world.

Contrast that to last season when Tottenham were regularly embarrassed by the likes of Liverpool, and you can see why Spurs supporters should have every reason to be optimistic about their future under Thomas Frank.

But the loss also exposed that Frank's tactical genius can only go so far in elevated Tottenham. This squad still needs more difference-makers and has a serious depth problem off the bench, exacerbated by injuries to key players like James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, as well as the unaddressed departure of Son Heung-min.

Therefore, Tottenham are pushing hard to sign another winger and attacking midfielder this summer before September hits, and their top No. 10 target is none other than Eberechi Eze, who has been linked on-and-off again to Spurs throughout the summer months.

Tottenham need a new 10 more than Arsenal

North London rivals Arsenal have also been significantly interested in bringing in Eze as a spark of creativity and a counterweight to captain Martin Odegaard, but it appears that the Gunners may be rethinking their plans to sign the FA Cup winner.

According to a report from talkSPORT's Ben Jaocbs, Tottenham are pushing faster to sign Eberechi Eze over Arsenal and are set to make a formal bid shortly. There is also optimism Eze will say yes if Crystal Palace do. But none of that is new or surprising information.

What is more interesting, though, is Jacobs noting that Arsenal are rethinking their pursuit of Eze and even slowing down their interest because they are considering the future of phenom Ethan Nwaneri, who is one of the best young wingers in the Premier League and probably one of the best teenagers in world football as a whole.

The problem is that Nwaneri, like Bukayo Saka, is a left-footed right winger, and there's no way he starts over one of the best players in the world. But Nwaneri could get minutes there and at the 10, and it might be easier for Nwaneri to get minutes in relief of Martin Odegaard since Arsenal already signed another left-footed right winger in Chelsea man Noni Madueke.

So if they were to sign Eze, Nwaneri would be blocked off even more from minutes, which would be terrible for the development of Arsenal's most special young player. In that way, Arsenal are handing Tottenham a boost for their dream No. 10 transfer target by focusing on their own young sensation.

The manner in which Tottenham lost the UEFA Super Cup final to Paris Saint-Germain added yet another sordid chapter to the "Spursy" saga and made it impossible to gloss over the yawning gulf in quality and experience that Thomas Frank and Luis Enrique had available on their respective benches.

Many pinned the blame on Daniel Levy for failing to prioritize the signing of an attacking midfielder or winger in the wake of James Maddison's injury and Son Heung-min's departure. It is objectively difficult to argue with that sentiment given that, other than Dominic Solanke, Frank had little choice but to bring on two 19-year-olds and a 20-year-old to see out a cagey European cup final, while Enrique had the luxury of substituting seasoned internationals Gonçalo Ramos and Lee Kang-in to provide firepower and level the match at the death.

But to focus exclusively on the negatives is to dismiss the many encouraging aspects on display during Thomas Frank's first game in charge. Spurs' defense was resolute. They played a tactically astute back three. They were effective on the counter-attack. They were exceedingly dangerous on set pieces. And they nullified PSG's dynamism for 70 minutes, like few teams in the world have been able to do. Before the match, no one thought Spurs had any chance of lifting the trophy, and yet they were two minutes away from pulling it off.

There could be more positive news on the horizon. There is growing belief that Spurs could get one or both of the Eberechi Eze and Savinho deals over the line before the first weekend of Premier League football is in the books. If Tottenham manage to sign both, they would immediately boast one of the most exciting (and expensive) forward lines in Europe.

Speculation about Eze and Savinho, however tempting, shouldn't overshadow how Tottenham's new arrivals have already transformed Spurs' style of play and dramatically improved the squad. While every Spurs player should hold their head high after their display in Udine, there were three who seem destined to define the Thomas Frank era.

João Palhinha

Tottenham supporters have been begging for a world-class central midfielder since Mousa Dembélé left the club in early 2019. Since then, Spurs have experimented with Victor Wanyama, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, and Yves Bissouma, but none have established themselves as a long-term solution. João Palhinha may have finally solved that problem. He will never be mistaken for the Belgian magician; instead, he is the Premier League's incarnation of Robocop.

The Portuguese international has more tackles than any other player in the Premier League since 2022, even though he missed one season while playing at Bayern Munich. But it was his all-around performance against PSG that proved he is more than a battering ram. In the lead-up to Spurs' first goal, the former Fulham man boxed out Marquinhos, pirouetted like a kickboxer, and in one fluid motion smashed a volley on target that Chevalier deflected off the bar and into the path of Micky van de Ven.

Frank now has a number six he can trust. Palhinha won't spray balls around the pitch, but he's seldom out of position. He adds much-needed grit to the squad. He is a threat to score from set pieces and from distance. And most importantly, he makes Tottenham incredibly difficult to break down. It was not surprising that Spurs conceded within ten minutes after he went off the pitch.

Mohammed Kudus

Until other attacking players are brought through the door, it is painfully clear that Kudus is Spurs' primary offensive threat. Known as "Starboy" among his Ghanaian teammates, the mazy winger is one of the world's best dribblers and one of the most technically gifted players in the Premier League.

What surprises many is his power. He uses his low center of gravity to keep possession in tight spaces and is able to muscle defenders off the ball when driving toward goal. He is probably quicker than he is fast. But he proved he is rapid enough to be a threat on the counter-attack. What may come as a surprise given his attributes is his willingness to track back and recover the ball. He plays with fire and pride, and he will no doubt relish the opportunity to put his myriad talents on display during Champions League nights.

Spurs knew they were getting a player with class, but from the small sample size it seems his ceiling is significantly higher than any other Spurs winger at the moment. Frank will work to improve his final product like he did with Mbeumo, Toney, Watkins, Schade, and Wissa. If he can become clinical in front of goal and get some help in the attacking third, he could easily rack up 20 goal contributions this season.

Cristian Romero

The narrative around "Cuti" Romero is about to change. Spurs' most decorated player is now Tottenham's third captain in a decade. It is a fitting honor for a world-class defender who has won nearly everything during his career—two Copa Américas, the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions, the FIFA World Cup, and now the Europa League. During his seven-year career in Europe, he has also been named Best Defender in Serie A and Europa League Player of the Season.

There was a cacophony of calls to sell the man from Córdoba during parts of last season, due to his tendency to make rash decisions, questions about his commitment to Tottenham, and his injury record. But the Argentinian international proved how indispensable he is against Paris Saint-Germain. He breaks lines with his passing. He is one of Spurs' most dangerous attacking threats on set pieces. He organizes the defense and gives the team supreme confidence.