Tottenham Hotspur star named in Xabi Alonso’s three man shortlist at Real Madrid

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero is attracting interest from Real Madrid

In recent months, Atletico Madrid have shown a concrete interest in signing Tottenham Hotspur star Cristian Romero.

Spurs signed the Argentinean international from Atalanta in 2021, and the centre-back’s move to North London has largely been a success, as he played a significant role in winning the Europa League title in May. While the 27-year-old missed the majority chunks of the past campaign and has does lose his calm on occasions, he is undoubtedly the best defender in the Lilywhites’ squad.

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone is keen to work with Cristian Romero, who has already expressed his desire to test himself in La Liga after the Premier League adventure. However, it looks like Simeone’s Atletico Madrid will not have a straightforward route to land the Tottenham star.

According to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, new Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has added Romero to his three-man shortlist to bolster his defensive unit ahead of the new campaign. The other two names are Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie and Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool.

After Real Madrid’s initial games at the Club World Cup, Xabi Alonso has made it clear that he does not count on Raul Asencio in defence and has immediately requested the board to sign a reliable central defence. The Spanish tactician may have been forced to take this decision after Asencio’s big mistake that led to his early sending off against Pachuca in the Club World Cup. A man short did not prove costly in the end as Los Blancos beat Pachuca 3-1 on Sunday.

The 22-year-old’s lack of positional awareness and concentration lapses have prompted Alonso to ask for a new central defender. The aforementioned report adds that Real Madrid see Romero as a ‘market opportunity’ due to his clear desire to leave Tottenham this summer.

Romero is willing to take the next big step in his career by leaving Spurs, with uncertainty surrounding his contract situation in North London. Due to the 2022 World Cup winner’s current deal entering its final two years, Tottenham risk losing one of their most valuable assets if they fail to secure his long-term commitment.

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Recent reports suggests Romero could make a stunning U-turn on his future and stay at White Hart Lane for another season following the appointment of Thomas Frank as the club’s new head coach. It would be fantastic if Frank can convince the Cordoba-born star of his project at the Hotspur Way and retain his services for another year, at least.

However, Madrid shortlisting the South American could prove problematic. Les Merengues, like Spurs, are ushering into a new era, and the tactically astute Alonso has already started putting pieces into his jigsaw. If his calls to sign Romero becomes concrete, it’d be difficult to stop him from leaving and fulfilling his desire to play in Spain.