In a surprising turn of events, Atletico Madrid has cooled its interest in Tottenham defender Cristian Romero, paving the way for Real Madrid to potentially swoop in.
Tottenham Hotspur has been grappling with the future of Cristian Romero for some time now. The 2022 World Cup winner has expressed his desire to play in La Liga, with Atletico Madrid previously showing concrete interest in acquiring him. His aggressive and front-footed style of play aligns perfectly with what Diego Simeone, Atletico's coach, demands from his defenders.
Simeone's public praise for Romero as a "great player" only added fuel to the speculation fire. However, new Spurs head coach Thomas Frank is keen on retaining the Argentinean international and building next season's team around him.
Shift in interest
According to Spanish outlets, Atletico Madrid appears tired of pursuing Romero and have given up hope on signing him this summer. This decision comes after numerous unsuccessful attempts by Los Colchoneros (Atletico) to sign the star player from North Londoners (Tottenham). As they shift their focus towards alternative options, it opens up an opportunity for their cross-town rivals - Real Madrid - who had shown interest earlier this year.
Real Madrid could seize this chance and test Tottenham’s resolve with an offer for Romero. With injuries sidelining Eder Militao and David Alaba during the Club World Cup, new coach Xabi Alonso found himself short on defensive options.
Los Blancos are still scouring the transfer market for another centre-back following their acquisition of highly-rated Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth last June. Given that Romero still has two years left on his contract at N17, Real Madrid may go on the offensive after their embarrassing elimination from the Club World Cup.
Tottenham's ambition to retain Romero
A potential move to Real Madrid would be hard for any player to reject, especially for Romero who has openly expressed his desire to play in La Liga. The constant speculation since the beginning of this year has unsettled him at Tottenham, which Alonso’s club may look to exploit in order to rebuild their defensive line-up.
Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy faces a challenging task this transfer window - proving his ambition and mending bridges with loyal supporters. One way he could achieve this is by retaining Romero at all costs this year. This move could demonstrate a commitment towards building a strong team and maintaining key players like Romero.
