Football Italia

After Inter director Piero Ausilio confirmed they ‘expressed our interest’ in Cristian Romero, Roberto De Zerbi warns ‘who is not happy has to leave’ Tottenham Hotspur.

It was known even before the end of last season that Romero was eager to leave Spurs, and that the club was increasingly frustrated with him too.

Although Barcelona were also interested, they have other priorities right now, so Inter are the hot favourites.

Romero talks with Inter confirmed

“There is certainly interest and we expressed our interest to both the player and the club,” Ausilio told Sky Sport Italia of Romero.

“These things take a long time, but there is certainly interest, so we’ll see.”

According to various different Italian reports, the opening proposal will be a loan with obligation to buy for a total fee of €40m.

It would be similar to the one used by Inter to sign Manuel Akanji from Manchester City last year, but Spurs want €50m for Romero.

Tottenham coach De Zerbi helped Inter’s cause by making a statement pushing the Argentina international out of the club.

“I was very clear at the start of my time in Tottenham. I said, who doesn’t want to stay in Tottenham? Who is not happy, is not proud to stay here, has to leave,” De Zerbi told reporters before their first pre-season friendly in New Zealand.

“I want the players to be proud and happy to stay here, to go on the pitch in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with big motivation. Because now in football, if you think also in the World Cup, the motivation makes the difference. The motivation is to be happy to stay in one team.”

This would represent a return to Italian football for Romero, as the 28-year-old first came to Europe for Genoa in 2018.

He then moved on to Juventus, before flourishing with Atalanta, and was sold to Tottenham for €53.8m in 2021.

Inter hope Tottenham will lower their €50m asking price for Cristian Romero, but could even match Spurs’ demands as long as they accept a loan deal with an obligation to buy, Gazzetta reports.

Inter are pushing to sign Tottenham and Argentina defender Romero and met the defender’s agent in Milan on Friday.

According to the latest report from Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter are still preparing an opening bid for Tottenham, but are aware that the Premier League side’s asking price is €50m.

The Nerazzurri will continue talks with the player’s entourage in the coming days, hoping to find a way to lower Spurs’ demands.

According to Gazzetta, however, the Nerazzurri could even accept to invest a similar sum as long as Tottenham agree to sell Romero on loan with an obligation to buy.

Inter already signed Manuel Akanji from Manchester City last summer using exactly the same formula, even if, back then, the transfer fee to sign the Swiss defender after an initial loan spell was €15m.

Romero is open to returning to Serie A after playing with Atalanta and Genoa.

Cristian Romero’s agent and entourage were spotted in Milan this afternoon for talks with Inter, as the Tottenham Hotspur and Argentina defender wants a Serie A return.

There had already been reports that the Nerazzurri were leading the pack for Cuti, although they would need Spurs to lower the €50m asking price.

Barcelona are also contenders, but Sportitalia have exclusive video of agent Ciro Palermo and entourage Vincent Casella in Milan today.

🚨 𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐀 – 𝐥’𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐢 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝐥’𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐨.

𝐒𝐢 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐚 𝐥𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝐥’𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫⚫️🔵#sportitalia #inter #romero pic.twitter.com/4RCcHloZhK

— Sportitalia (@tvdellosport) July 24, 2026

Romero eager for Inter

This comes just hours after Inter director Piero Ausilio left the German pre-season training camp for a return to Italy, largely so he could be present at this meeting.

Sportitalia insist Inter are confident they can get Tottenham to lower the price for Romero to €35-40m, seeing as both the club and player are desperate to separate this summer.

It would be a comeback to Serie A for Romero, who started his European career in Italy with Genoa in 2018.

He then moved to Juventus, flourished with Atalanta, and was sold to Tottenham for €53.8m in 2021.

The rugged centre-back has 58 senior caps for Argentina and only turned 28 in April.

Inter remain interested in a potential deal for World Cup finalist Cristian Romero, and reports in Argentina claim that the Nerazzurri are at an advantage compared to Barcelona in the race for the Tottenham Hotspur centre-back.

Report: Inter at an advantage compared to Barcelona in Romero race

The Nerazzurri are hoping to strengthen their back line this summer and are reportedly seeking the signing of a new centre-back as well as a new right wing-back to replace Denzel Dumfries, whose move to Real Madrid was confirmed earlier this month.

According to reports from Calciomercato.com, Inter had originally contacted Tottenham to discuss a potential deal for full-back Djed Spence, but Romero also came up in discussions between the two clubs.

The Argentine centre-back is widely expected to leave Tottenham during the summer transfer window, and Inter and Barcelona are said to be among the most interested clubs.

According to Argentine outlet TycSports, Inter currently have the advantage over Barcelona in the Romero race and they are also expected to resume talks with the player’s agents in the coming hours.

Inter’s ‘advantage’ is largely due to the fact that Barcelona are left needing to sell players before bringing in any new star arrivals. Additionally, Hansi Flick is said to be a big fan of Aymeric Laporte, who won the World Cup playing alongside Barca youngster Pau Cubarsi at the heart of the Spain defence and is expected to come at a cheaper cost than Romero.

Cristian Chivu’s side, meanwhile, have had a relatively quiet start to the summer transfer window: Aleksandar Stankovic and Ivan Provedel the club’s only additions so far this window.

The Nerazzurri had been willing to invest heavily on the signing of Marco Palestra before his move to Chelsea went through and are still considering the sales of a handful of other first-team players, which does leave room in the budget for new defensive acquisitions.

Calciomercato reports that Tottenham are seeking a fee in the region of €45m-€50m to sell Romero this summer, which has come down from the reported €60m that they would have requested just a few weeks ago.

Inter, meanwhile, are said to be keen on the idea of a loan with an obligation to buy, like they did with Manuel Akanji and Manchester City last summer, but with a lower buy-out fee at around €35m-€40m.

Romero is said to earn around €8m per season in net wages with bonuses included.

Fabrizio Romano confirms that Inter have already begun talks with Tottenham over Cristian Romero and will meet the defender’s agent this week.

Inter are actively trying to sign Tottenham defender Romero, Fabrizio Romano confirms on YouTube.

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Inter set to meet Romero’s agents this week

The Italian transfer expert claims that Inter have already begun talks with Tottenham and will surely meet the defender’s agents this week.

“There will be a meeting this week, 100%, between Cuti Romero’s entourage and Inter,” Romano said.

Other sources have claimed that Tottenham have asked for €50m for Romero, and Romano confirms it would be an “expensive” deal for the defending Serie A champions.

An Argentina international, Romero has already played in Serie A for Atalanta and Genoa, making 88 appearances in Italy’s top flight.

Romero’s contract in North London expires in June 2029.

Romano adds that Inter have cooled their interest in Romero’s Tottenham teammate Djed Spence given that Spurs have raised their asking price to nearly €50m following the wing-back’s performances at the World Cup.

According to Romano, Inter are now fully focused on Romero and have prioritised his potential signature over negotiations for a new right wing-back.

Tottenham have dropped Guglielmo Vicario for their pre-season tour in New Zealand and Australia, boosting Juventus’ hopes of signing the Italy international.

Vicario won’t be part of the Tottenham squad travelling to New Zealand and Australia for some pre-season friendlies this summer.

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Official: Tottenham drop Italy international Vicario for pre-season tour

Spurs have confirmed that the Italian goalkeeper won’t travel with the rest of the team due to a minor knock, but according to Italian media, including Gazzetta, Spurs’ decision confirms that Vicario is not part of their plans.

Juventus are looking for a new starting goalkeeper for 2026-27 and are unlikely to reach an agreement with Aston Villa for Emiliano Martinez, their primary target.

Vicario has been a target for Juventus for some time, and Tottenham’s decision to exclude the Italian from their pre-season tour has strengthened the Bianconeri’s chances of signing him through a favourable transfer agreement.

According to Gazzetta, the Serie A giants will try to sign Vicario on loan with an option to buy. Until a few weeks ago, Tottenham’s asking price for Vicario was reported to be circa €20m.

Inter’s search for an heir to Denzel Dumfries is set to continue, as reports in Italy indicate that the Nerazzurri will not be following through with a deal for Tottenham Hotspur and England defender Djed Spence.

Spence unlikely for Inter at €47m

The 25-year-old former Genoa loanee impressed with his performances at the 2026 World Cup under Thomas Tuchel and had emerged as a potential transfer option for Inter this summer. The Nerazzurri are still in need of a new right wing-back to replace Dumfries, whose release clause was activated by Real Madrid earlier this summer.

However, according to Sport Mediaset’s Orazio Accomando, Inter have decided against proceeding with a deal for Spence for the time being at least.

Wednesday’s update claims that Tottenham are seeking a fee in the region of €47m (£40m) for the Englishman this summer, which is expected to be too much for Inter if they are to bring in several new recruits during the off-season.

Finding a new right wing-back is proving to be a difficult task for Cristian Chivu’s side. Italy talent Marco Palestra was the priority target at the beginning of the window, but a €60m offer from Premier League side Chelsea ruled out any possibility of a move to San Siro.

Inter had also agreed a deal with Union Saint-Gilloise for right winger Anan Khalaili, but this deal collapsed due to concerns surrounding the player’s medical. For now, the search continues.

Sportitalia insist Cristian Romero is eager for a return to Serie A with Inter, but the €50m asking price set by Tottenham Hotspur is a major hurdle.

The 28-year-old limped off during the 2026 World Cup Final with Argentina, but had already decided that he would be moving on at club level this summer.

Romero eager for Serie A return

His contract at Spurs runs to June 2029, but he feels that his time at White Hart Lane is over, especially after they struggled simply to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

According to Sportitalia reporter Gianluigi Longari, Inter are in contact with Romero’s entourage, and the player would be more than happy to come back to Italy.

This is where Cuti first made his mark, arriving for Genoa in 2018, then going on to Juventus and Atalanta, until the €53.8m transfer to Tottenham in 2021.

Inter are pressing hard for Djed Spence as they look to fill the void left by Denzel Dumfries, but landing the Tottenham defender will require convincing a reluctant Roberto De Zerbi.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, via TuttoMercatoWeb, the Spurs coach admired Spence’s qualities during the World Cup and has no wish to lose him unless an irresistible offer arrives.

The full-back is quick, comfortable on either flank and blessed with sharp defensive reading, traits he showcased in the semi-final against Argentina, keeping Giuliano Simeone quiet.

Having previously played for Genoa on loan, Spence is said to be enthusiastic about a return to Serie A, and Inter remain in pole position, with fresh updates expected this week.

Tottenham stand-off could push Inter towards Perisic or Stones

The obstacle, as ever, is financial. Tottenham are holding firm above €40 million, emboldened by having Pedro Porro as their established right-back, and the demands of the English market are being felt across Inter’s business, the pursuit of Curtis Jones has been complicated by steep valuations elsewhere.

Should De Zerbi and Tottenham refuse to budge, Inter have alternatives in mind. One is a sentimental option: a possible return for Ivan Perisic, freed by PSV a year early.

The other addresses a different area entirely, John Stones, the England defender now a free agent after leaving Manchester City, was offered to the Nerazzurri in recent weeks.

An experienced, rugged centre-back who played every minute of a strong World Cup without any sign of physical decline, Stones could represent a shrewd cost-free addition, even if his profile differs from the wide reinforcement Spence would provide.

An intriguing exchange idea has emerged, suggesting Napoli could offer Vanja Milinkovic-Savic to Tottenham for Guglielmo Vicario, upsetting Juventus, Hull City and Leeds United.

There seem to be a lot of goalkeepers ready for transfers this summer and it is prompting a merry-go-round on the market.

Milinkovic-Savic and Vicario both on the move

Napoli are ready to hand the gloves to Alex Meret, which means Milinkovic-Savic is for sale to be replaced by someone more willing to be an understudy.

He had been offered to Hull City and Leeds United, but seems unenthused about either of those options.

The Corriere dello Sport suggests Tottenham Hotspur would be more at the Serbian giant’s level, and they are ready to sell Vicario.

The former Empoli shot-stopper is eager for a return to Italy, and has been among the candidates linked with a move to Juventus.

However, Napoli would also be a promising alternative for him, where he could hope to push Meret for playing time.

Above all, the Partenopei are in a situation where they must sell before signing anyone else due to financial fair play constraints, so an exchange between Milinkovic-Savic and Vicario would make economic as well as sporting sense.