Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero is a top target for Atletico Madrid, but the North Londoners will not let him leave on a bargain.
According to the Daily Mail, Spurs have told prospective suitors that a deal for Romero will cost more than £60 million if the Argentine centre-back decides to leave the club this summer.
The 27-year-old is one of Ange Postecoglou’s most trusted lieutenants and one-half of the manager’s preferred centre-back pairing alongside Micky van de Ven.
Romero is famous for his aggressive style and defensive leadership, traits that will come in handy for Atletico, who are looking to strengthen their rearguard.
But negotiating a fair price with Tottenham could be difficult.
Romero joined Spurs back in 2021 on an initial loan deal from Atalanta. Since then, his stock has been on the rise courtesy of his performances for both club and country.
The Colchoneros are closely monitoring his situation. Tottenham are in no rush to sell one of their most valued assets, and certainly not on the cheap.
As far as Tottenham are concerned, Romero is still a pillar of their project, so it would take a significant offer for the club to consider cutting him loose this summer.
His fate could be tied to that of Postecoglou, whose future at Spurs is still up in the air despite ending the club’s 17-year-wait for major silverware.
There has been talk of Brentford manager Thomas Frank being in the running for the job, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy remains tight-lipped on Postecoglou’s future.
The Australian considers Romero a key part of his plans, and if he survives the axe, he has made no secret of how highly he rates the World Cup winner and how much he wants him to stay at the club.
“He [Romero] is a winner,” Postecoglou said. “You saw that in all the big games we’ve had, and the lads certainly respect him very highly.
“He makes them walk a bit taller, so yeah, from my perspective, it is a no-brainer that making sure players like him (stay).
“If he goes, who do you replace him with? There are not too many out there like him.”