Tottenham Hotspur‘s summer rebuild under Roberto De Zerbi may not be over, but after a plethora of exciting arrivals, Spurs have now agreed to sell star defender Cristian Romero.
Since keeping Spurs in the Premier League last season, the Italian has been heavily backed by the Tottenham hierarchy.
Spurs have already strengthened several key areas of the squad, including in defence with the arrivals of Marin Dubravka, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, giving De Zerbi far greater depth ahead of the new campaign.
In midfield, reinforcements have also been captured, with two huge deals for Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes from Newcastle United and West Ham United respectively.
However, with the cash splashed, balancing the books is also required in north London, leading to some departures. Spurs have received fees for Luka Vuskovic, Will Lankshear, Alejo Veliz and Alfie Devine so far, and they now look set to bring in more through the sale of their captain.
Romero has been linked with an exit throughout the summer despite De Zerbi speaking glowingly about the Argentina international shortly after taking charge.
The Spurs boss described Romero as an “amazing guy”, while also praising his leadership qualities and competitive mentality, making it clear he would have been happy to keep the World Cup winner if circumstances allowed.
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Why Spurs may need to sell Cristian Romero |
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Defensive successors signed |
Tottenham have brought in Van Hecke and Senesi, giving De Zerbi two proven Premier League centre-backs who suit his possession-based style. |
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Financial value |
With plenty of cash spent so far this summer, it is important Tottenham look to balance the books slightly, especially if they want to bolster their attacking ranks. |
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Injury and disciplinary record |
Romero has missed 35 games through injury over the last two seasons, while also receiving six red cards during his time in north London. |
Now, a move away appears to be edging closer.
Tottenham agree £34.5m deal to sell Romero to Inter Milan
According to reports from ESPN Argentina, Tottenham have reached an agreement with Inter Milan regarding the sale of Romero, with the Serie A giants set to pay €40m (£34.5m) after accelerated talks which involved Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio.
The move is set to mark a significant moment in De Zerbi’s first transfer window in north London and how Tottenham will line up at the back at the start of the new season.
While losing one of Europe’s best defenders would initially seem like a major blow, the timing arguably makes sense for Tottenham.
The arrivals of Van Hecke from Brighton and Senesi from Bournemouth gives the Italian two centre-backs who are comfortable playing out from the back and capable of operating in his possession-based system.
Van Hecke already knows De Zerbi’s methods from their time together on the south coast, and he’s established himself as one of the Premier League’s top ball-playing defenders, while Senesi brings valuable top-flight experience, leadership and the balance of a naturally left-footed centre-back.
Replacing a World Cup winner is never straightforward, however, Tottenham have already secured two proven defenders, meaning Romero’s departure to play Champions League football with Inter Milan could be far less disruptive than it might have been 12 months ago.