Real Madrid scouted Tottenham defender Cristian Romero against Arsenal
Losing to a weakened Arsenal side was always going to attract criticism for Tottenham Hotspur players and head coach Ange Postecoglou.
The Lilywhites pushed hard to try and dent Arsenal‘s early title aspirations but Mikel Arteta’s men defended resolutely and snatched the three points, via Gabriel Magalhaes’ second-half header. Now, there are genuine concerns at N17 after Spurs lost back-to-back games in the Premier League and dropped to 13th in the table.
After the North London derby defeat, one of the Tottenham players who has received intense criticism from fans and pundits alike is Cristian Romero. Ex-Manchester United skipper Gary Neville blasted both Cristian Romero and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario for failing to deal with Arsenal’s corner-kick routine that led to Gabriel scoring a towering header.
And on the North London derby day, it looks like a scout from a European giant decided to watch the Tottenham defender from close proximity. According to a report from Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Juni Calafat, Real Madrid’s chief scout travelled to London to watch Romero in action against Arsenal on Sunday.
Romero has established himself as one of the best central defenders in the Premier League in the last couple of seasons. The 2022 World Cup winner has been a consistent presence at the heart of the Spurs backline under Ange Postecoglou, impressing with his aggressive, front-footed defending and physicality as well as ball-playing skills. Together with Micky van de Ven, he has helped the Lilywhites form a strong foundation at the back.
However, the 26-year-old didn’t enjoy the best of games against Arsenal and was culpable for losing his marker in Gabriel who scored the goal in the second half. In fact, the Argentina international is yet to hit top form this season. Despite the derby day blues, the £165k-a-week Spurs man remains a top defender and one of the key figures under Big Ange.
Real Madrid have been admirers of Romero and were interested in signing him this past summer transfer window. The European champions would believe they chose the wrong day to scout the 2024 Copa America winner but the fact of the matter is they’d not read too much on one poor display as Romero is an experienced campaigner and one of the top-rated defenders in the English top flight.
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To keep Real Madrid at arm’s length, Spurs are already planning to open fresh contract talks with Romero before Christmas. Let’s hope our Argentinean warrior gets back to form and starts delivering consistent displays, even if that goes into accelerating Real Madrid’s interest in him further.