Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has a plan to stop Cristian Romero from leaving for Atletico Madrid
Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer plans are starting to take shape after a quiet start to the window. Thomas Frank will be keen to add to bolster his squad with exciting acquisitions as they prepare for the Champions League and to improve on last season’s 17th-place Premier League finish.
Amid their desire to bring in new players after securing Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel to permanent deals, retaining the services of Cristian Romero has been an absolute priority.
Atletico Madrid have been interested in signing Cristian Romero for months now. Diego Simeone is a big fan of the Tottenham star and believes he would be a good fit for his style of play at Atletico Madrid. The Argentinean tactician did Spurs no favours in publicly stating that the 27-year-old is a “great player” last month, clearly opening Wanda Metropolitano’s doors for him.
As per reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, new Tottenham boss Thomas Frank wants to make Romero the “lynchpin” of his side from next season. And now Daniel Levy is ready to back Frank in this situation by making a strong statement to fend off Atletico’s interest.
According to TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is prepared to make Romero the club’s highest-paid player to stop him from joining Atletico whilst showing just how highly he is rated within the club. He has also placed a £70m price tag on the 2022 World Cup winner.
“Daniel Levy, as we said this week, is accepting that Romero might leave, but he won’t allow him to leave for cheap,” Graeme Bailey exclusively told TBR Football.
“He’s telling Atletico he’s prepared to make Romero the highest-paid player at the football club. That’s evidence of how highly he rates him.
“So that’s where Levy is pushing back. I think he’s looking for £70m. He’s not going to get that. Will he get £60m? I think that might be the key figure. Atletico are about £55m,” added Bailey.
“But Levy is emphasising to them just how highly he rates the player. Levy, as we know, will keep a player if you don’t offer what he wants.
“Atletico think they know the value of the defender and Diego Simeone is pushing massively for him, thinking we’ll get him.”
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Romero has already expressed his desire to play in La Liga, which gives Atletico leverage in negotiations with Spurs. The Lilywhites, on the other hand, are likely to remain firm in their valuation of one of their best players, especially with the Argentinean still having two years left in his contract.
In a bid to rebuild the squad under the new head coach, Levy must retain the best players on the current roster. Romero is a world-class defender, thanks to his mix of aggression, technical ability, leadership skills and pedigree. By making him the best-paid player at White Hart Lane, Levy would make his intent clear further that the South American is regarded extremely highly in North London and someone who can have a long-term future here.