- Cristian Romero's future remains open with Inter Milan leading the race for the Tottenham defender.
Cristian Romero attracts interest across Europe
Cristian Romero's future is set to become one of the biggest stories of the final weeks of the transfer window, with Inter Milan, Arsenal, and Atlético Madrid all interested in the Tottenham captain, according to The Athletic.
Following the arrival of Van Hecke and Marco Senesi in the summer, the Spurs manager, Roberto De Zerbi, decided to offload the 28-year-old from the team. Romero arrived in North London in the summer of 2021 and is ready for another chapter, possibly abroad, after 5 years with the Lilywhites.
Inter Milan move ahead in negotiations
Inter Milan is seriously interested in bringing the player to their team and has already reached a verbal agreement with Tottenham Hotspur for a transfer fee of €40 million, but the Italians are yet to reach an agreement with the player for the move, as per The Athletic.
Why Arsenal face a major obstacle
Arsenal are also interested in signing Romero, but a move appears highly unlikely given the fierce rivalry between the North London clubs. Tottenham are not willing to strengthen one of their biggest domestic rivals and are expected to reject any approach from the Gunners.
Transfers directly from Spurs to Arsenal have been extremely rare in modern football. The most notable example remains Sol Campbell, who left Tottenham as a free agent in 2001 to join Arsenal in one of the most controversial moves in Premier League history. Campbell went on to win multiple major trophies with the Gunners and played a key role in their legendary 'Invincibles' side that completed the 2003-04 league season unbeaten.
Atlético Madrid revives long-standing interest
The report also claims Atletico Madrid renewed their interest in the player and expected to start negotiations with both the player and the club side very soon. Atletico is managed by Argentine coach Diego Simeone, who shares a very close relationship with the player, which is a positive factor for Los Rojiblancos in this saga.
Decision expected before deadline day
With interest growing across Europe and multiple clubs preparing their next moves, Romero's future is expected to be resolved before the transfer window closes.