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Tottenham Hotspur owner Daniel Levy is prepared to make Cristian Romero their highest earner in order to keep him at the club amid interest from Atletico Madrid, according to a report from TBR Football.

Romero has played a crucial role for Tottenham over the years, and his performances are starting to attract interest from other clubs. After a disappointing season in the Premier League, we could see some of Thomas Frank's squad looking for moves away from the club during the summer transfer window.

Qualifying for the Champions League after winning the Europa League, beating Manchester United in the final, could tempt some of their stars to remain with the club, especially as they enter a new era under Frank.

Levy Ready to Make Romero Tottenham's Highest Earner

Atletico Madrid are keen on signing him

Speaking to TBR Football, journalist Graeme Bailey has confirmed that Levy is accepting that Romero could leave, but he won't let him go cheap. The Tottenham owner is prepared to make him their highest earner, while a fee of £60m could be the sweet spot to get a deal done...

“Daniel Levy, as we said this week, is accepting that Romero might leave, but he won’t allow him to leave for cheap. He’s telling Atletico he’s prepared to make Romero the highest-paid player at the football club. That’s evidence of how highly he rates him. So that’s where Levy is pushing back. I think he’s looking for £70m. He’s not going to get that. Will he get £60m? I think that might be the key figure. Atletico are about £55m."

Romero, described as 'world-class' by teammate Micky van de Ven, will be able to play Champions League next season regardless of whether he joins Atletico or stays at Tottenham. It would be an opportunity to work with fellow Argentinian Diego Simeone, which could be key in his decision.

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Tottenham Hotspur, an English club who boast such a rich history and prestige, have had no shortage of goal-getting strikers over the years – from Jimmy Greaves to Jermain Defoe to Harry Kane. But that’s not to say that it’s always been sunshine and rainbows.

Daniel Levy and his entourage, who have made their fair share of hodgepodge deals over the years, were grinning from ear to ear when they managed to fend off the fierce competition for Souleymane Coulibaly’s signature in the summer of 2011.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Coulibaly, in 18 outings for Spurs’ Under-18s, plundered five goals and three assists.

Likened to fellow countryman and Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, there was plenty of excitement among the White Hart Lane echo chamber for the arrival of the £2 million-rated marksman, who was in Siena’s youth ranks at the turn of the decade.

Spurs acted the quickest, though he never made a senior appearance in the north of the English capital. 14 years have been and gone since his arrival, but what is Coulibaly, who became something of a veteran journeyman, up to nowadays?

Spurs Beat Man Utd and Real Madrid to Coulibaly's Signature

The striker had just won the Golden Boot at U17 World Cup

Back in 2011, Coulibaly was riding on the crest of a wave after winning the Golden Boot at the Under-17 World Cup. The line leader, now 30 years of age, had poached nine goals for the Ivory Coast and Spurs were therefore interested in his signature.

At the tender age of 16 years and six months, the uncapped Ivorian notched two hat-tricks in Mexico – but his topsy-turvy stint with Spurs, who offered him the chance to be promoted to Harry Redknapp’s first-team immediately, serves as a cautionary tale that playing in England really is not everyone’s cup of tea.

What with European heavyweight duo Real Madrid and Manchester United also keen to acquire the centre-forward’s goalscoring exploits, the north Londoners must have felt as if they had struck gold by winning the tug-of-war for Coulibaly.

Coulibaly instantly drew comparisons to Drogba – widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers in Premier League history – because of his uncanny blend of deadly finishing and explosive power and striker's instinct, which saw him pop up in the right place at the right time.

“They started calling me the new Drogba after the Under-17 World Cup,” he said, as reported by the BBC back in 2016, before adding that he had never met the aforementioned Ivorian talisman. “But he is a legend, and it would just be nice to meet him.”

Coulibaly, speaking on The Set Piece Podcast in 2020, believed that moving to England to play under Redknapp was the best move at the time given the high ambition at the club. “Tottenham went to Italy and made me the offer,” he said.

“It was a good opportunity for me. The ambition was good there, so I signed. The programme at Tottenham was really good for young player They were planning what they were going to do with the training ground, and I could develop with a young team. It was a fantastic opportunity for me."

He was rubbing shoulders with the stars, he admitted. “I started training with the first team when I was 16 years old, with Jermain Defoe, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale. Harry Redknapp was the one who brought me there. It was a fantastic experience.”

The Archetypal Journeyman: Souleymane Coulibaly

Now 30, he’s played in Italy, England, Egypt and Cyprus

As you could probably guess, things didn’t go to plan at Spurs – and from there onwards, Coulibaly made a name for himself by swapping clubs as if it was going out of fashion. Now, he earns his corn for Pickering Town, a team based in North Yorkshire.

Coulibaly then returned to England, signing for Peterborough United on a permanent basis and a free transfer in 2015. For Posh, he notched five goals in 32 League One showings – but was sent on loan, to the division below, the following season.

The centre-forward – who had the pleasure of playing alongside London-born Kane, who is now admired as one of the best strikers in world football, in Spurs’ youth set-up – then bounced about the globe playing for a host of different teams in a host of different countries, not least Al Ahly in Egypt.

Stints in Scotland, Tunisia, Cyprus and Algeria all beckoned before he found himself without a club in the early stages of 2024. Nuova Florida of Italy picked him up later on in the year; he then moved to Hull United and now, he’s at Pickering.

Fulham are prepared to play hardball to keep defender Antonee Robinson at the club amid strong interest from Tottenham Hotspur, GIVEMESPORT sources understand.

The Lilywhites are keen to strengthen their squad for new manager Thomas Frank this summer, with the Dane looking to shape the squad in his own image ahead of their Champions League campaign in 2025/26.

The north London club are expected to be busy in the transfer window as a result, and while Robinson has emerged as a target for the left-back position, Fulham are not going to make it easy to let him move across London.

Tottenham Want to Sign Robinson

Fulham will demand £45m to sell

Robinson, who has been described as 'one of Europe's best full-backs', has been a key member of the Cottagers squad under Marco Silva in recent times, and has attracted big interest from some top clubs.

Tottenham are the latest club to show an interest in the USMNT star, but Fulham are desperate to keep him, and as a result have slapped a £45m price tag on his head to fend off interested parties. The 27-year-old is under contract until 2028 at Craven Cottage.

Fulham's price tag is a result of some of the Premier League's other top left-backs switching clubs this summer for similar fees. Manchester City completed a deal for Wolves star Rayan Ait-Nouri for around £36m, and he has played 135 times in the Premier League, while Liverpool paid £40m to Bournemouth to seal a deal for Milos Kerkez, who has less than half the appearances in the top-flight that Robinson has.

Fulham consider Robinson, who is older than both those players, to now be hitting the peak of his career, and as such value him higher than the amounts those players were sold for earlier in the window.

Tottenham currently have Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie as their primary options at left-back, while Wales international Ben Davies also signed a new one-year contract to extend his stay with the club. Spain international Sergio Reguilon was released, however, while Spence is a natural right-back, and Udogie has had injury issues during his two years in the Premier League.

GIVEMESPORT key statistic: Antonee Robinson had more assists in the Premier League (10) than any other defender in 2024/25.

Fulham are battling to keep their squad together this summer after fighting off interest from Everton to hand right-back Kenny Tete a new contract rather than losing him for free, while Leeds United saw a bid rejected for striker Rodrigo Muniz.

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Tottenham are showing interest in a summer move for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has revealed.

The Europa League winners have reportedly earmarked the promising 23-year-old as a potential reinforcement to Thomas Frank’s midfield but are facing competition from a host of clubs.

Hackney has recently emerged as a target for one-time German champions Bayer Leverkusen, and there is a growing sense that a move away from English football could be on the cards for the midfielder.

He has recently signed with the same SEG agency that represents Erik ten Hag, who was appointed as Leverkusen’s new boss last month.

Tottenham Eyeing Hayden Hackney

Leverkusen emerging as potential destination

Hackney has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this summer and is believed to have admirers at both Tottenham and Crystal Palace.

Both clubs have recruited well from the Championship in the past 18 months, with Spurs welcoming exciting full-back Archie Gray last summer and Palace signing midfielder Adam Wharton in January 2024.

Middlesbrough are in no rush to sell Hackney at the moment, having parted ways with forward Emmanuel Latte Lath in January for a club-record £22.5m fee.

Hackney, praised for being 'on another planet when it comes to progressing the ball up the pitch', has two years left on his contract, which runs until the summer of 2027.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Hackney scored five goals and provided three assists in 43 Championship appearances last season.

Tottenham have kick-started their summer business with permanent deals for Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel and remain on the lookout for further reinforcements to Frank’s attacking options.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Lilywhites are making progress in their pursuit of West Ham ace Mohammed Kudus and have recently opened talks with his camp over a summer move.

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Ryan Mason says Tottenham Hotspur's glory night in Bilbao provided the ‘perfect ending’ to his career at the club - and convinced him it was time to move on.

West Brom’s new head coach said when the club’s 17-year wait for a trophy ended with victory over Manchester United in the Europa League that he knew it was time to strike out on his own.

Mason Worked Under Many Top Managers at Tottenham

Praises Postecoglou for Europa League win

Mason had worked under a number of bosses at the north London club - including Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou.

And, at his Hawthorns unveiling, Mason said that in time, the Aussie who lost his job in the wake of winning the trophy would be given far more credit for his achievement, despite Spurs’ 17th-placed finish in the Premier League.

He said: “I think Bilbao was probably confirmation. As a player, I lost a cup final and it hurt. And then also I managed in the cup final. I lost and that hurt, too.

“So to close that chapter with what we achieved was great, and it felt good - it felt good to finish the season that way and I knew after that my time had come to an end.

“It was the perfect ending to a chapter in my life at a club I care deeply about.

“I'd only signed a two-year contract and it was an incredible two years and I'm so grateful to him [Postecoglou] for giving me that opportunity to learn and continue to grow and be part of his team.”

Asked whether he was able to give West Brom any guarantee - to borrow a quote from his former boss Postecoglou - that he would win something in his second season, Mason said: “I'm not in a position currently to make a quote like that.

Obviously, Ange had an incredible career, absolutely incredible, and I think over time, people would probably start appreciating what was just achieved at that football club, and he was the figurehead.

“If I can get 20 years down the line and be able to say a quote like that, then I would have obviously had an extremely successful managerial career.”

Mason Stepping Into Volatile Manager Market

Believes West Brom is the right club for him

Mason is stepping into a vicious arena as far as managerial longevity is concerned.

Apart from two bosses who are entering the Championship this season from different pathways - Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna and Wrexham’s Phil Parkinson - John Mousinho at Portsmouth is the longest-serving boss in the second tier.

He was appointed in October 2023 - just 21 months ago.

They can be killing fields for aspiring bosses.

Asked if he had any hesitation about stepping into a position where the expectation level will again involve a push for the play-offs, Mason said: “I believe in the people that I'm working with I'm working for.

“That's the most important thing in any job - any situation you go into - if you don't believe in the people you're working with and working for, then you're already in a difficult place.

“So that's irrelevant to me, absolutely irrelevant.

“I’m here but I'm not thinking about that. I'm not thinking about the next five years.

“I know I'm here, it feels right. The relationship feels good.

“I'm sure it is going to grow and develop over time and it's my job to develop the football club and improve results on the pitch as well.”

Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a move to sign RB Leipzig star Castello Lukeba in a discount deal this summer, according to Foot Mercato.

The north London club are looking to strengthen their squad for new manager Thomas Frank this summer after appointing the Dane to replace Ange Postecoglou, with a Champions League campaign on the horizon despite finishing 17th in the Premier League in 2024/25.

There are several positions that the club are keen to bolster, but centre-back has emerged as one of the priority positions for the Lilywhites and Frenchman Lukeba is now seen as a target.

Tottenham Battling to Sign Lukeba

Player open to move at discount price

Lukeba, who has been described as 'one of the best defenders on the market', is expected to leave RB Leipzig this summer after a string of standout performances in the Bundesliga in recent seasons.

The 22-year-old, also referred to as a 'monster', has a £78m release clause in his contract with the German outfit, but there is an agreement between all parties that he will be allowed to leave this summer for less than that amount.

That has sparked several clubs into action including Tottenham Hotspur, who are looking at bolstering their defensive options after seemingly missing out on a deal to sign Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi.

The England international was subject of a £70m bid in the January window but the Eagles rejected it, and now the defender looks set to move to Anfield with Premier League champions Liverpool eyeing a move for him.

With the future of vice-captain Cristian Romero also in question amid strong interest from Atletico Madrid, Lukeba has emerged as a potential top target for the north London side.

Lukeba himself is open to a new challenge this summer despite having a contract that runs until 2029, and after starring at the Under-21 European Championships during the summer it now looks like he could be heading to the Premier League.

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Tottenham Hotspur could look to RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons as an alternative to Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze this summer, according to reports - with new manager Thomas Frank looking to bolster his squad ahead of what promises to be a tricky season.

The north London outfit have been linked with various attacking talents such as West Ham United hero Mohammed Kudus and more, with Frank keen on signing game-changing stars to boost their position in the table - and with Champions League football on the cards, Simons has emerged as a potential option.

Report: Tottenham Keen on Simons as Eze Alternative Alongside Kudus

The north London club are evidently keen on bolstering their creative ranks

The report by The Times journalist Tom Allnutt states that although they have signed Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich in a permanent deal worth around £30million, Tottenham haven't been completely active in this market, with their only other imminent signing being Japanese youngster Kota Takai for a fee of around £5million.

That is down to their change in manager, with Frank keen to assess his squad before making any decisions - despite Son Heung-min's future being uncertain. That has led Tottenham to explore their options in the market, with the club wanting another central midfielder and a wide forward - though the club have cooled their interest in Palace star Eze and Brentford hero Bryan Mbeumo favours a move to Manchester United.

With that in mind, Simons is of interest to Spurs. He won't come cheap, and although he is expected to leave Leipzig this summer, they only paid €50million (£42million) to land him on a permanent deal in January from Paris Saint-Germain according to Allnutt, with any expected bid from Spurs needing to be much greater than that fee.

Simons, labelled as 'one of the best number 10's in the world' back in January, would be keen on Champions League football having missed out on Europe's premier cup competition with the Bundesliga outfit this season after a seventh-placed finish, six points away from fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Xavi Simons has five goals in 28 caps for the Netherlands - including one in the EURO 2024 semi-finals vs England.

Simons scored 10 goals and registered seven assists in the Bundesliga alone for Leipzig this season, though his efforts were in vain as Leipzig failed to qualify for any European football at all thanks to Stuttgart's win in the DFB-Pokal.

Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 01-07-25.

Tottenham Hotspur chair Daniel Levy has held direct talks with another Premier League club in a bid to sign a 'world-class' star, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed - with West Ham United midfielder Mohammed Kudus in their sights, although a deal isn't close to completion just yet.

Spurs' qualification for the Champions League, after winning the Europa League, gave them a huge lifeline for next season having finished 17th in the top-flight - and new boss Thomas Frank will want to pad his squad out ahead of a European campaign.

Sources: Tottenham Hold 'Direct Talks' for Mohammed Kudus

The West Ham star may be on his way out of the club this summer

GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed that club chiefs at both clubs - namely Levy of Tottenham, and David Sullivan of West Ham - have been in direct contact over the potential switch of Kudus, who was bought and starred under David Moyes two years ago.

Spurs are now wary that they aren't the only club looking at the Ghanaian star, and so they believe that it is important to move early for his talents if they are to have any chance of winning the race for his signature.

Kudus boasts a reported £85million Premier League release clause in his contract, but that is considered to be somewhat irrelevant in the context of a move from east to north London. No club in the top-flight believes that he is worth that amount of money.

Kudus is seeking a move, and insiders have suggested that West Ham may loosen their grip and sell the Ghana star for less. Tottenham, on the other hand, have been in contact with the Hammers for a little while, and have started negotiations at £50million as they look to get a deal over the line for the former Ajax star.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Mohammed Kudus has 12 goals in 42 caps for West Ham.

However, West Ham insist that any bid is a long way from an acceptable level, and they will have to meet in the middle before Tottenham are able to land their man. Kudus enjoyed a fruitful first campaign in the capital, notching 28 goal contributions in just 48 games in all competitions to mark himself as one of the rising stars in the Premier League - but he did struggle last season, grabbing just nine goals and assists, including a red card against Tottenham back in October.

Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 01-07-26.

Tottenham retain an interest in signing Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi this summer, BBC journalist Sami Mokbel has revealed.

The Europa League winners targeted a move for the Eagles skipper in January but saw their late bid rejected, as Palace were reluctant to sell mid-season.

However, with Guehi’s contract now entering its final 12 months, there is a strong chance of him departing in the coming weeks, with a host of Premier League clubs keeping close tabs on his situation.

Liverpool are believed to be leading the race and are in ongoing talks over a summer deal, while the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea all have admiration for the 24-year-old ‘superstar’ defender.

Tottenham Retain Interest in Guehi

Among Premier League clubs keen on the 24-year-old

According to Mokbel, there are indications that Palace could accept an offer between £40m and £45m for Guehi, with a year left on his contract.

The Eagles rejected an approach worth £65m from Newcastle last summer but are now in a weaker negotiating position amid growing interest from Premier League clubs.

Guehi, who joined Palace from Chelsea permanently in the summer of 2021, has been a cornerstone of the South London club’s defence since, making 155 appearances across all competitions and scoring eight goals.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Guehi made only two senior appearances for Chelsea before departing in 2021.

Tottenham have welcomed Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel on permanent deals to kick-start their summer business and are now believed to be eyeing another reinforcement for their attacking options.

According to reports, the Lilywhites are showing interest in a move for West Ham star Mohammed Kudus and have held club-to-club talks over a potential deal.

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Atletico Madrid are reportedly yet to agree on a deal with Tottenham Hotspur for Cristian Romero, despite claims from Argentina regarding a fee being agreed upon.

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has quashed suggestions that Spurs have agreed to sell the Argentine defender to the La Liga giants. There were reports in his homeland that Atletico were closing in on a €55m + €10m in add-ons (£47m + £8.5m) package for the player, who is a top target for Diego Simeone.

Romero fuelled talk of a potential summer move when speaking in May about "always wanting to grow and looking for new places to continue developing". He has two years left on his contract and was a standout performer in the Lilywhites' Europa League final victory over Manchester United.

No Spurs Deal In Place With Atletico For Romero

Thomas Frank wants to keep the Argentine

Romero has been with Spurs since the summer of 2022, when he arrived from Serie A side Atalanta in a £42.5m deal. He encountered a topsy-turvy past season amid injury issues but is an undisputed starter alongside Micky van de Ven when fit.

Simeone is eyeing the 27-year-old, but Bridge has denied reports of an agreement being in place. He wrote on X:

"Told reports from Argentina media that Spurs have agreed a fee with Atletico Madrid for Cristian Romero are not true."

Spurs' stance appears to be that they want the 2022 World Cup winner to stay following Thomas Frank's appointment as Ange Postecoglou's replacement. The Danish tactician reportedly wants to keep the 2024-25 Europa League Player of the Tournament in North London for the upcoming season, according to football.london's Alasdair Gold.

The Argentine international is set to be joined at the club by Japanese defender Kota Takai, with the club closing in on a reported £5m deal. The Kawasaki Frontale centre-back would become Frank's second summer signing after Mathys Tel's loan move was made permanent for £30m earlier this month.

All statistics courtesy of SofaScore - correct as of 30.06.2025