By Sean Walsh
Real Madrid are interested in signing defender Cristian Romero from Tottenham Hotspur, reports in his native Argentina claim.
Romero has formed an integral part of Spurs' core since joining in 2021 from Atalanta on an initial season-long loan, following which he was signed for £44m. After Ange Postecoglou's appointment as head coach last summer, the centre-back was promoted to the role of vice-captain to Son Heung-min.
It's at international level with Argentina where Romero has truly shone in recent years, notably playing a starring role in their 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar. Due to his fine performances with the national team, Lionel Messi has previously labelled Romero as 'the best defender in the world'.
These performances have not gone unnoticed, and ESPN report that Madrid are now looking into the signing of Romero.
Madrid have already wrapped up summer deals for forwards Kylian Mbappe and Endrick, allowing them to now switch attentions and focus on strengthening their defence.
Current centre-backs Eder Militao and David Alaba both missed significant portions of their successful 2023/24 campaign with ACL injuries, while club captain Nacho Fernandez is expected to depart this summer.
But even if Madrid do firm up their interest in Romero, Tottenham are in a strong negotiating position as his contract runs until 2027 and are not in any immediate financial peril, standing among the few Premier League clubs without any burdening Profit & Sustainability Rules issues.
During his time in north London, Romero has consistently stated his desire to stay at Tottenham and make a success of his spell in England. His infamous on-pitch disciplinary issues have also started to clear having been elected to Spurs' group of captains, while he chipped in with five goals during the 2023/24 season.
READ THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
This article was originally published on 90min.com as Real Madrid interested in £44m Tottenham defender - report.
