Cristian Romero might leave Tottenham after this season.
Tottenham Hotspur have been staring at a defensive overhaul at Hotspur Way when the summer comes around, as both of the first-choice centre backs, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, have been linked with a Tottenham exit.
With the first-choice pair looking for an exit, the chiefs at Hotspur Way would be forced into looking for high-profile players to take their space in the squad.
While there have been many centre-backs attributed to links with a Tottenham transfer, one of the latest names that has been going around is that of Mario Gila. The Lazio defender is said to be emerging as a direct Romero replacement if the Argentine were to depart Hotspur Way this summer.
Tottenham eye Mario Gila; Atletico Madrid also interested
According to a report by Tutto Sport (as relayed by Sport Witness), the Spanish centre back is said to be available for somewhere in that £25m fee range. It is a number that makes things quite attractive for Tottenham as they look to assess options to revamp the Lilywhites’ defence.
The report states that the defender is not looking to renew his contract at Lazio. Tottenham are said to ‘burst onto the scene’ to sign him. But they are not alone in pursuit of his services. Spurs’ Premier League rivals Aston Villa and Everton are also said to be interested. Joining the English trio is Atletico Madrid, but they have no intention of stepping into a bidding war for him.
Author Opinion
Now Gila is not a new name for Tottenham supporters. Many would remember extensive links with him last summer when it looked like Romero was close to bidding adieu and leaving for Spain. But Romero opted to stay out at N17, and those rumours for Gila never materialised.
Though given the inconsistent season that Tottenham have been having, the Lilywhites skipper is looking to move away to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, who are due to visit Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this midweek and are open to signing him if Spurs were to sell, making Gila a likely alternative if they are not able to sign the Argentine World Cup winner.
For a player who has that deep experience in the Serie A, that pricing point of £25 million will be seen almost as a low-risk market opportunity within the corridors at Hotspur Way. This is exactly the kind of transfers that Daniel Levy used to find leverage on in his time at Tottenham. Can his successors do the same as well?