Tottenham fans have not reacted positively to the news that the club are ready to make Cristian Romero their top earner in order to fend off growing interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid.
The Argentina World Cup winner is currently under contract until the summer of 2027 but is attracting plenty of interest from the LaLiga outfit as they reportedly prepare a big-money summer bid for his services.
The central defender has experienced just one season of Champions League football during his three-and-a-half years in north London but has also had his fair share of injury issues in that time.
Indeed, Romero has been sidelined since early December with a thigh injury and, although he has been spotted back in Tottenham training, it appears that he is no closer to returning to action.
Despite that, TBR Football reports that Tottenham are ready to make the 26-year-old their highest-paid player in a bid to keep hold of him – although the report does not mention any actual numbers involved.
TBR states that Spurs remain hopeful that they can persuade Romero to sign a new long-term contract and that there has been communication between the player’s camp and the club.
Indeed, Tottenham are fully aware of Real’s desire to sign the former Juventus man as they look to upgrade an aging back line at The Santiago Bernabeu, with Arsenal’s William Saliba also a target.
Romero himself has already hinted at a Spurs exit after speaking out against the club’s hierarchy, suggesting that they were the ones responsible for the team’s struggles this season.
It’s also no secret that Tottenham are actively looking to sign another central defender this summer after Radu Dragusin’s long-term injury, despite the fact they brought in Kevin Danso in the winter window on a loan-to-buy deal.
Offers for both Marc Guehi and Maxime Esteve were both rejected on deadline day, while the club have also been linked with the likes of Dean Huijsen, Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, Antonio Silva and Tomas Araujo.
However, despite all the talk of a lucrative new deal for Romero, it appears that many Tottenham fans are not actually on board with the idea.
There is a strong argument that the defender performs far better for his country than his club, with Romero often caught out of position – even when he’s alongside the outstanding Micky van de Ven.