Arsenal have asked the agents of Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero about a potential transfer, but Atletico Madrid remain favourites to sign the defender. Tottenham are unaware of the inquiry from their north London rivals and would be unwilling to sell the 28-year-old central defender to them. Supporters would deem the sale completely unacceptable, and Tottenham would not countenance it.
Premier League champions Arsenal are considering defensive reinforcements because William Saliba will be out for months after suffering a back injury at the World Cup. However, Romero appears destined to leave the Premier League after five years at Tottenham, having originally joined the club from Atalanta.
Atletico Madrid transfer offer
Atletico Madrid rekindled their interest in Romero last month after Inter Milan made a pitch for the defender. Inter have agreed a £34m fee with Tottenham but have not agreed personal terms with Romero.
Atletico are currently working on player exits before making a formal bid. The Spanish side are in talks to sell 24-year-old left-back Matteo Ruggeri to Aston Villa for £19.7m if the player agrees to the move. Atletico are also selling Nahuel Molina to Roma, with the combined transfer fees intended to finance a £30m bid for Romero.
Tottenham squad changes and World Cup actions
Tottenham are open to selling their captain for the right price after bolstering their defence earlier in the transfer window. Manager Roberto de Zerbi is well stocked in defense following the arrival of Marcos Senesi on a free transfer and the £52m signing of John Paul van Hecke from Brighton. Romero previously came close to leaving Spurs after former manager Ange Postecoglou departed.
During Tottenham's relegation battle late last season, Romero suffered a knee injury and left the pitch in tears during a 1-0 defeat by Sunderland. De Zerbi secured Premier League survival without his captain, who recovered in time to play for Argentina at the World Cup. Romero played in defence for Lionel Scaloni's side as Argentina defeated England in the semi-finals before losing 1-0 to Spain in the final last month.
The defender drew criticism during the tournament for celebrating in the faces of opposition players. Following the final, after receiving his runners-up medal around his neck from Infantino, Romero snubbed US President Donald Trump by ignoring him and walking straight past him to join his teammates.
