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Tottenham Hotspur fans will love a series of answers that Man United’s Lisandro Martinez gave about his international teammate, Cristian Romero.

Atletico Madrid showed a keen interest in taking Romero to the Spanish capital during last summer’s transfer window.

The La Liga club were reportedly ready to spend big on the Tottenham star, but the Lilywhites held firm and resisted the interest from Diego Simeone’s side.

Eventually, Romero signed a new long-term contract with Spurs, and he is now an indispensable part of the club’s current project, being named captain by Thomas Frank.

Tottenham star Cristian Romero dubbed one of the top three centre-backs in the world

Many saw Tottenham tying down Romero to a new deal as the club’s best piece of business in the summer.

Although the centre-back has been found wanting on a couple of occasions this season, he continues to be held in very high regard by both his Tottenham and Argentine teammates.

Lisandro Martinez has now answered a series of questions about where Romero ranks among the best, which shows just how highly the Man United man rates the Tottenham captain.

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Here are the questions posted to Martinez and his answers (via All About Argentina on X):

Romero has not lived up to his usual standards this season

Romero has been labelled a liability for Tottenham by some journalists and pundits, with some of the centre-back’s disciplinary issues creeping back into his game.

The Argentine has also had a few lapses in concentration, and some have even questioned Romero’s captaincy credentials.

Tottenham fans will not like what Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has said about two of the Lilywhites’ best players.

While Tottenham Hotspur boasted of many world-class players in their squad a few years ago, they hardly have any who would fit in that category at the moment.

However, two players who do fit that bill are Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, whose stock continues to rise despite the Lilywhites’ continued struggles.

Apart from their defensive heroics, the pair have also been lethal in the other box this season, having found the back of the net 13 times between them.

Paul Scholes admits he would love Tottenham duo at Man United

A few months ago, Jamie Carragher admitted that he would have Tottenham’s two starting centre-backs over Liverpool’s, and another pundit has now made a similar comment regarding his former side.

Scholes admitted that he would take both Van de Ven and Romero at Old Trafford in a heartbeat.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, the 51-year-old said: “I love the centre-halves me, van de Ven and Romero. I think they should be playing. If those two centre-halves were at Man United, I wouldn’t mind that, would you?”

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Spurs may struggle to keep hold of Micky van de Ven

Many of the biggest clubs in Europe have been credited with an interest in Van de Ven over recent months, and it has been claimed over recent weeks that Liverpool are plotting a move for the Spurs defender in the summer.

While Tottenham are determined to hang onto Van de Ven, doing so will be far from easy.

Chris Sutton has now sent in his score prediction for Tottenham Hotspur versus Man City ahead of a crucial fixture for Thomas Frank’s side.

Attention turns back to the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur, who were victorious last time out in the Champions League.

Thomas Frank’s men put two past Eintracht Frankfurt, who were unable to respond, as the Lilywhites secured a clean sheet and a top-four finish.

This time around, Spurs are back in league action, a competition they have struggled to make their mark on this season.

Tottenham vs Man City prediction made by Chris Sutton

Spurs sit 14th in the Premier League table and run the risk of being dragged into a relegation battle, with just eight points separating them from 18th place.

A victory against Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be a much-needed boost for Frank and his players, who remain winless domestically in 2026.

Offering his score prediction for the fixture, BBC pundit Chris Sutton outlined why he believes City will have too much for Spurs, pointing to form, personnel and the atmosphere inside the stadium.

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Sutton wrote on BBC Sport: “Erling Haaland is back in the goals for Manchester City, and scored with a lovely finish against Galatasaray on Wednesday.

“What also helps City is having Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo eligible for this game, after they missed out in midweek. I spoke earlier about Arsenal getting nervous, but for that to happen City need to really put their foot down and keep the pressure on.

“So this is a big game for them and while I do not think it will be easy – Spurs are a bit of a bogey team for them – Guehi will make them much more solid at the back.

“Tottenham’s unhappy home fans might help City get a result, too. You can imagine the first misplaced pass by Spurs, they will blame it on Frank, and those grumbles will only grow as the game goes on.”

Score prediction: Tottenham 0-2 Manchester City.

Spurs pressure building ahead of key Premier League run

This will no doubt be an intense encounter for both sides, given what is at stake heading into the game.

Manchester City are chasing the title and will be desperate to avoid a slip-up against a Tottenham side that has quite often been Pep Guardiola’s bogey team.

Tottenham Hotspur may have competition from Atletico Madrid in the race for their top managerial target to replace Thomas Frank.

Just when Thomas Frank appears to be on the brink, he continues to pull out results that save him temporarily.

That is what happened again on Wednesday, with Tottenham beating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 and securing direct passage to the round of 16 stage of the Champions League.

While the Dane appears to have bought himself some time, Thomas Frank’s long-term future is far from secure at the moment.

Atletico Madrid could make move for top Tottenham managerial target

It was previously reported that Andoni Iraola is at the top of Tottenham’s wishlist to replace Thomas Frank.

A new report in Marca has now confirmed that Tottenham Hotspur are indeed one of the clubs circling over the Spaniard, who has won many admirers with his impressive work at Bournemouth.

However, the outlet claims that the Lilywhites may have to battle Atletico Madrid for the Cherries boss, who has been identified by the La Liga giants as a potential replacement for Diego Simeone.

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The report adds that ‘many clubs are keeping a close eye’ on Iraola’s situation ahead of the summer transfer window.

Andoni Iraola likely to leave Bournemouth in the summer

The Bournemouth boss has played down the speculation over his future, but refused to confirm he will be at the Vitality Stadium beyond the end of the season.

In their latest article, Marca spoke to journalist Matteo Moretto, who believes there is a ‘very high probability’ that Iraola will seek a new challenge in the summer.

Moretto told the outlet: “Iraola has many suitors, he’s very focused on Bournemouth, but there’s a very high probability that he’ll leave the English team at the end of the season. Several teams are very interested in him, including Tottenham.

“Mateu Alemany (Atletico’s director of football) greatly appreciates Iraola’s work and could be a coach who fits the profile. What’s happening between Simeone and Atlético Madrid is something inexplicable.”

Tottenham Hotspur are pressing forward with a move for an exciting La Liga winger, whose stock is growing rapidly in Spain.

At the start of the January window, it was reported that signing a top-class winger is one of Spurs’ priorities.

However, with just days left until the window slams shut, the Lilywhites have failed to strengthen their attack, with Conor Gallagher and Souza being the only two players to arrive through the door.

It has now emerged that the North Londoners have turned their attention to a 22-year-old Spaniard after being impressed by his rise this season.

Tottenham eye summer move for Osasuna star Victor Munoz

According to a report in Fichajes, Tottenham have emerged as the front-runners to sign Osasuna star Victor Munoz, whose performances this season are attracting plenty of attention.

Munoz swapped Real Madrid for Osasuna in the summer and is having an impressive first season at the El Sadar Stadium, having notched up four goals and four assists so far.

While several teams from the Premier League are monitoring the 22-year-old’s progress, Spurs have identified him as a ‘key player for their future’.

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As a result, the Lilywhites are thought to be willing to pay the winger’s €40m (£34.6m) release clause and want to complete the deal ‘as soon as possible’.

Spurs’ interest could jeopardise Real Madrid’s plan

Fichajes say that Real Madrid have a €8m (£7m) buy-back clause for Munoz, which becomes active at the end of the season.

The Los Blancos had planned to exercise that option and then sell the winger on to the highest bidder in the summer.

The report says that Tottenham’s interest in the winger and their willingness to pay the release clause could ‘jeopardise’ Madrid’s plan. However, the La Liga giants would still be owed a percentage of the fee that Osasuna receive for the player.

Opta’s supercomputer has revised its Tottenham predictions after the final round of the Champions League league phase fixtures.

Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt meant that the Lilywhites finished 4th in the league phase table and secured direct passage to the round of 16 stage.

Thomas Frank’s men can now put the competition on the back burner until March and focus on their Premier League commitments for the time being.

Spurs have also discovered their possible round of 16 opponents, with the North Londoners set to play one of Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, or Galatasaray in March.

What are Tottenham’s chances of progressing deep in the Champions League?

Opta have now revised their predictions after the conclusion of the league phase, and the supercomputer considers Tottenham favourites to progress to the final eight.

The algorithm gives Frank’s men a 57.44 per cent chance of beating their round of 16 opponent over two legs and making it into the quarterfinals.

However, the data analysis platform expects it to be difficult for Spurs to progress beyond that point, giving them just a 21.3 per cent chance of being in the semifinal.

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Opta suggest that Tottenham only have a 6.19 per cent chance of being in the showpiece final in Budapest and just a 2.29 per cent chance of winning the competition for the first time in their history.

Spurs have one big advantage due to their fourth-place finish

While a top-eight finish was enough to avoid playoffs and progress directly to the round of 16, a top-four finish is even more beneficial to a team’s chances.

As a result of finishing fourth, Tottenham will be playing their home legs second in both the round of 16 and quarterfinals.

A former Tottenham player has revealed that he urged Daniel Levy to sign an exciting forward who scored 28 times last season.

Spurs are reportedly looking to strengthen their attack before Monday’s deadline, and one Man City man has been linked with them since the start of the window.

According to reports over recent days, Tottenham are involved in the race for Marmoush in the final days of the window as the attacker seeks an exit from the Etihad Stadium.

However, it turns out that the Lilywhites could have signed the forward a long time ago if they had listened to one man’s advice.

Former Tottenham striker urged the club to land Omar Marmoush 18 months ago

Mido has now revealed that he urged Daniel Levy to secure the services of Marmoush six months before Man City paid £59m to land him from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The former Tottenham man shared that he also told Levy the same about Mohammed Salah during his Basel days, but was ignored.

Mido told OnTime Sports (as relayed by Football.London): “I sent a text message via phone to Daniel Levy, the chairman of Tottenham, with whom I have a good relationship, to sign Mohamed Salah while he was playing in Basel.

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“And I told him that it was necessary to sign Salah because he will be one of the best players in the world. The Tottenham chairman replied that he would follow up on the player, and I think he now regrets not signing him.

“A year and a half ago, I sent the same message to Daniel Levy, and told him to follow Omar Marmoush, and that he will be one of the best players in the world, but I do not think the club moved to include him.”

Spurs are exploring a loan move for Marmoush

The 26-year-old Egyptian forward could still end up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium within the next few days.

This is according to a recent update by CaughtOffside, who claimed that Pep Guardiola has given the green light for Marmoush to be sold after the forward expressed a desire to leave the Etihad Stadium.

The outlet claimed that Spurs are battling it out with Aston Villa for the former Eintracht Frankfurt man’s signature, with the Lilywhites exploring a loan deal with an option to buy.

Tottenham’s pursuit of Omar Marmoush continues to take several twists and turns as we approach the final days of the transfer window.

It has been reported by some sources over recent days that Tottenham are battling Aston Villa, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce for Marmoush’s signature.

On Monday, CaughtOffside handed Tottenham a boost by revealing that Pep Guardiola had greenlit a Marmoush transfer from the Etihad Stadium after the Egyptian asked to leave Man City.

The report claimed that the Lilywhites were battling Aston Villa for the 26-year-old and that Spurs were exploring a loan deal with an option to buy the forward.

Man City have decided not to sell Omar Marmoush to Tottenham

However, a new report from Football Insider has now contradicted the previous reports, suggesting that Marmoush will not be leaving before Monday’s deadline.

The outlet claims that Man City have made a final decision not to offload Marmoush as they do not want to weaken their squad.

Guardiola is said to be keen on keeping his whole squad intact as he wants to compete on all four fronts, and the forward is hopeful of getting more game time in the second half of the season.

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As a result, Tottneham and Aston Villa are both set to be disappointed, with a deal for Marmoush now out of their reach.

Spurs may turn to Maghnes Akliouche instead

The question now is which attacker Tottenham will turn to in the final days of the window, and there could be an obvious answer.

Maghnes Akliouche has been heavily linked with a move to Spurs all month, and the Monaco man continues to be on the Lilywhites’ wishlist.

The match officials for the clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Man City have now been finalised.

Manchester City usually dread coming to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as they have a shocking record at the venue, but they will be a lot more confident this time.

They will be taking on a Spurs side who are languishing in 14th place in the table and are in serious danger of getting sucked into a relegation battle.

The Lilywhites will take some confidence from their impressive performance at Eintracht Frankfurt, which was enough to seal direct progression into the Champions League R16, but City represent much sterner opposition.

Referee confirmed for Tottenham clash against Man City

It has been announced that Rob Jones will be the official in charge of the clash between Spurs and City on Sunday.

The 38-year-old will be assisted by Neil Davies and Nick Greenhalgh, while Andy Madley will be the fourth official in the big clash in North London.

VAR will be overseen by Jarred Gillett, who will be assisted by Blake Antrobus in his duties at Stockley Park.

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How is Spurs’ record when Rob Jones has been in charge?

Tottenham’s record in matches officiated by Jones does not make for encouraging reading for Spurs fans.

According to Transfermarkt, the Lilywhites have won just four of the 12 matches that Jones has overseen, drawing two and losing the remaining six.

The 38-year-old referee has handed out 29 bookings to Tottenham players in those 12 games, which is almost two and a half per match.

Tottenham take on Man City this weekend in the Premier League, and although Spurs usually win this fixture there’s no denying which team is actually stronger.

It’s become almost a tradition now that, no matter how good City are and how poorly Spurs are playing, the Lilywhites will come out on top in a freak result every year.

Indeed, Tottenham have long been Pep Guardiola’s bogey team, especially when it comes to games in North London.

You could say Guardiola has broken that curse to some degree now, and Man City are big favourites to win this weekend. But, which players are the best of the best from both sides?

Which Tottenham stars make it into combined XI with Man City?

Gianluigi Donnarumma

Starting between the sticks in our combined XI for these two teams, it’s a pretty easy decision to put Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal. The big Italian has all the elements you’d look for in a top goalkeeper; he’s big, commanding, has great reactions and good distribution. Unfortunately, Guglielmo Vicario is just too erratic to compete with his compatriot here.

Pedro Porro

Admittedly, City do have some quality options in the full-back areas, with Matheus Nunes doing a good job there this season. But, for his natural talent in going forward and creating chances, plus his relatively solid defensive work, we’ll give the nod to Pedro Porro at right-back.

Cristian Romero

We couldn’t not include the Spurs skipper, and to be honest, Cristian Romero might just be the best centre-back across both sides. City do have the likes of Marc Guehi and Ruben Dias, but Romero is, at his best, composed, impressive on the ball, and physically imposing. He’s a beast, frankly.

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Josko Gvardiol

Despite the aforementioned centre-halves at City’s disposal, we’re going to partner Romero with Josko Gvardiol. The Croatian would be the perfect partner for Romero, with Gvardiol also having a natural ability to take the ball at his feet and progress up the pitch, as well as being dominant in the air.

Micky van de Ven

I was so close to putting Nico O’Reilly here; I’ve been so impressed with the City youngster this season. However, it feels ludicrous to not find a space for Micky van de Ven. He’s better-suited to the left centre-back role, but the speedy Dutchman has also put in some top displays at left-back and has the athleticism to make it work.

Tijjani Reijnders

He may go under the radar at times, but Tijjani Reijnders is a crucial cog in City’s system. He’s basically taken over from Rodri in that regard. The Dutchman makes everything tick for Guardiola’s team; he breaks up opposition play, dictates the tempo, and turns defence into attack brilliantly.

Lucas Bergvall

This is possibly the most rogue pick, but I cannot overstate how highly I rate Lucas Bergvall. The young Swede is a dynamic number eight who offers everytihng you want in a midfield three; he’s combative, has good feet, knows how to find a pass, and loves bursting forward.

Rayan Cherki

How Man City managed to sign Rayan Cherki for £25m is beyond me. The Frenchman has made an instant impact since coming to the Premier League and already has eight goals and nine assists in all competitions. There is an argument to be made for the likes of James Maddison or Xavi Simons, but Cherki has done enough to prove himself already.

Antoine Semenyo

City’s new boy, Antoine Semenyo, is someone Spurs wanted to sign, and it’s easy to see why. He was outstanding at Bournemouth, but has already shown he can hold his own in a team of superstars. Semenyo poses such a threat from wide areas and is also excellent at getting into the box and on the end of crosses, too.

Erling Haaland

I mean, I like Dominic Solanke but he never stood a chance here, did he? Erling Haaland is the most natural and prolific goalscorer in the Premier League and maybe even the world (although Harry Kane might want a word about that).

Phil Foden