London Evening Standard

Manchester United are not expected to make a move for Tottenham captain Cristian Romero this summer despite reports on the contrary.

The centre-back's future in north London has been uncertain for some time, first being open to leaving the club last summer amid interest from Atletico Madrid.

The Spanish giants were expected to compete for his signature again this summer, but are now reportedly facing stiff competition from Man United.

Argentine journalist Gaston Edul, who is said to have close ties to Romero, reported on Monday evening that United were "preparing an offer" for the Spurs skipper.

But Press Association and BBC Sport report that Romero is not a target for Michael Carrick this summer.

It remains to be seen if Spurs will entertain selling their captain this summer.

Romero has been a vocal critic of the club hierarchy during two years of underachievement, which has seen Spurs finish 17th in back-to-back Premier League campaigns.

The World Cup winner almost missed the club’s final-day relegation-decider, having instead said to have prioritised the final of the Argentine Championship between boyhood club Belgrano and River Plate.

Romero was promoted by Belgrano on their social media channels in the days leading up to the biggest game in Spurs’ modern history, videoed carrying footballs at the club’s training ground, but was in attendance in north London days later as the club avoided relegation on the final day of the season.

Spurs have been busy strengthening their defence already this summer, with centre-back pair Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke both targets.

Senesi is expected to join from Bournemouth on a free transfer, while a third bid for Van Hecke will be submitted after Brighton last week rejected Spurs' first two.

Van Hecke is reportedly keen to be reunited with De Zerbi, after the pair's time together at the Seagulls.

Spurs also have highly rated teenage star Luka Vuskovic set to return from a loan spell with Hamburg, where his form saw him named in the Bundesliga team of the season.

It is felt that Vuskovic, who will play in this summer’s World Cup, is ready to come in and challenge for minutes at Spurs next season.

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Harry Redknapp has told Roberto De Zerbi how to get Tottenham back on top again after a disaster season which saw Spurs avoid relegation on the final day.

A 1-0 win over Everton saw Spurs secured a 17th-place finish for the second season on the spin.

Spurs’ dismal league campaign the year prior was offset somewhat the historic Europa League triumph, but there was nowhere for the club to hide 12 months on.

Thomas Frank was sacked in February before the disaster appointment of Igor Tudor sent Spurs spiraling into the relegation zone, before De Zerbi - and West Ham’s own miserable form - saw the club cling on to their Premier League status.

Redknapp took over Spurs in 2008 with the club in the relegation zone - having picked up just two points from their opening eight games - and guided them to the League Cup final, and then into the Champions League during his four seasons in charge.

The veteran manager did not come by any silverware during his in N17, but would he ever have let things get so bleak?

“I don’t know, hopefully not!” Redknapp told Standard Sport.

“When I was there, [Mauricio] Pochettino was there, you would never have imagined us finishing 17th two years running, that’s for sure. It’s been a bit of a disaster really hasn’t it?”

Asked to identify the cause of Spurs’ tailspin, he cited poor player recruitment and the managerial merry-go-round - but backed De Zerbi to restore the side to Europe.

Redknapp continued: “I think the new manager has sorted it out. I think Tottenham next year, for sure they’ll be a top-six team.

“De Zerbi, I like him. He did a great job at Brighton. All the people I talk to who have played for him like him and respect him. I think he’ll do well, I think next year they’ll be up there.”

Tottenham have moved quickly in the summer transfer market, picking up ex-Liverpool full-back Andy Robertson on a free transfer, and are said to be working on deals for centre-back pair Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke.

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The highly rated 20-year-old, signed from Leeds in 2024, was one of the club’s most consistent performers during a tumultuous campaign, and won all three of the club’s end-of-season, player of the year awards, which are voted on by fans.

And Redknapp tipped him for the captaincy should Cristian Romero depart this summer.

“I think Archie Gray would be one of the people that you look to build your team around,” he said.

“He looks a fantastic young pro, good player, and over the last two years, he’s probably been their best player, I think.

“He is, I assume, a captain of the club in the not-too-distant future. Even next year, if I was there, I wouldn’t hesitate to make him captain, even though he’s only a young kid.

“He could be like Ray Wilkins, who became captain of Chelsea when he was very young. He’s good enough to do that.”

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Much is expected of the young centre-back, who was signed nearly three years ago but is yet to play a competitive game for the club having been sent out on loan. Vuskovic, who has four years to on his contract, has most recently enjoyed a hugely beneficial loan spell at Hamburg, who saw him named in the Bundesliga’s team of the season.

Such form has reportedly prompted interest from across Europe, to throw Vuskovic’s future at Spurs into doubt. The player himself has made no secret of his desire to remain on loan at Hamburg so he can player with his brother, whose doping ban end in November.

Alderweireld, who was one of the Premier League’s best defenders during his six years in north London, is among Vuskovic’s admirers, and tipped him to emulate his former team-mate Vertonghen.

”I played against Luka Vuskovic in Belgium when he played for Westerlo. I think he's physically very strong for his age, so that's a positive. He will only get stronger and stronger. I didn't see a lot of games from him, but of course, if you're in the team of the year playing for Hamburg, it means you're doing well.

“Maybe he can do the pre-season [with Spurs] and show his qualities. But he's young, so if it's not this season, in the future he will definitely get a good chance to prove himself, get a regular start in the first team.

“He will get the opportunity, of course, it's up to him to take the chances or not, but he has everything to become an unbelievable centre-back. He’s strong, quick, good with his feet, even in the attacking box of the opponent, he can win some headers, score some goals, he's a very all-round complete defender.”

Alderweireld added: “He's more than just a defender. He scores all of the goals, and he's good with passing as well ... he's not a typical defender, not only a no-nonsense defender. He has a lot more qualities about him. [I would compare him to] Jan Vertonghen. He's also good with things other than only defending with his head.”

Toby Alderweireld was speaking exclusively to the London Standard in association with BOYLE Sports 2 Goals Ahead. The early payout offer allows fans to back a team and if they go 2 goals up at any point during a 90 minute match (e.g 2-0, 3-1, 4-2), BOYLE Sports will immediately settle as a winning bet, no matter the final result. Go to BOYLE Sports for more.

Spurs are keen to sign the Dutch centre-back this summer, having already wrapped up a Bosman signing of Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth, amid uncertainty over the future of captain Cristian Romero.

Van Hecke is expected to leave Brighton this summer with just one year left to run on his contract, and Brighton chief executive Paul Barber has confirmed that Spurs are not the only interested team. Liverpool and Newcastle have also been linked.

Brighton are reportedly demanding £70million to sell the 25-year-old, with Spurs having first bid around £40m. Another offer from Spurs has now been rejected, with another expected.

Barber told talkSPORT: "There's always going to be a lot of interest in our best players, and certainly in the case of Jan Paul.

"Yes, we have rejected a bid from Tottenham over the last week or so, in fact, two bids. From that point of view, it has to be right for us as well as the player.”

He added: "We have to be in a position to make the best trades to suit our model and also to make sure that we're supporting Fabian [Hurzeler, Brighton manager], because he's got another big season ahead of him.

"He's had two seasons in the Premier League, he's finished eighth on both occasions, this time we've been fortunate enough to qualify for a European competition.

"We want to go as deep in that competition as we can, while also doing well in the Premier League.

"To do that, we need to make sure Fabian's got the best possible squad and we've got the right balance between the young players that typically we like to bring in and develop, and the more experienced players like Pascal Gross and others, who can actually help us progress in all of the competitions that we're in.

"As always, it's a balancing act, and hopefully this summer we can work hard to pull it off again."

“For me, Van Hecke is ready. He's ready to play because he played under De Zerbi and he showed that he can play in the moment, that he's mature, and we need players that are already mature.”

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He has since undergone multiple surgeries on his route to recovery and declared himself available to represent Sweden at the World Cup, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, was left behind by Graham Potter.

Kulusevski’s full focus, then, is on getting himself ready to represent Tottenham in the upcoming Premier League season, and it seems Roberto De Zerbi will be able to call on him when they get their campaign underway in August.

Kulusevski has shared plenty of content from his recovery on his Instagram page, and in a new story post, shows himself playing a game of two-on-two basketball.

The short clip shows him picking up the ball inside the three-point line, before driving to the basket and passing to his team-mate, who scores from the free-throw line.

That post is followed by a photo of a Tottenham-branded football next to a pitch.

Kulusevski has previously posted clips of himself undergoing rehabilitation work both in the gym and on the pitch, but this latest snippet is the most vigorous activity we have seen from the Swede since he last appeared for Tottenham some 391 days ago.

The clip shows him moving freely, suggesting his injury nightmare may now be a thing of the past, though this will not be confirmed until he reports for pre-season training.

Tottenham endured a tumultuous season with Kulusevski absent. Three different managers took the helm as they narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the Premier League season.

“For me, it’s difficult to understand how he can play at the World Cup if he didn’t play any games this season,” De Zerbi explained.

“But I texted him after [the Villa game]. He told me in the next week, I think, he comes back [to continue his rehab at Hotspur Way]. And I hope he can be available to stay with us in the last game because he is an amazing player.”

Kulusevski’s Tottenham team-mate Lucas Bergvall has been called up to Sweden’s World Cup squad. The Blagult were drawn into a difficult group, though, where they will face Tunisia, the Netherlands and Japan.

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