Tottenham transfer targets as Cristian Romero nears exit

Tottenham fans will understandably mourn the departure of Cristian Romero, should he leave for Atletico Madrid, even more so after his Europa League final display.

Romero displayed that Argentine grit in his battle with Harry Maguire that would have had Diego Simeone salivating en route to being named Player of the Match.

It’s not a coincidence that Romero has started in the heart of defence for Argentina’s 2021 and 2024 Copa America wins or the 2022 World Cup final win, adding the Europa League to his collection; he seems to flick a switch in these big games that could make him an invaluable asset to Atleti and Simeone.

But if he wants to leave, Tottenham shouldn’t stand in his way.

It’s still not clear who will be sitting in the Tottenham dugout in August, though Ange Postecoglou has done his case no harm. With that in mind, the club might not want to be too hasty before signing potential replacements, but considering how Romero has played, Spurs should look for as close to a like-for-like replacement as they can.

Romero has struggled with injuries this season, being limited to 18 Premier League games and it’s undoubtedly impacted his form. There’s every chance that he returns to his 2023/24 levels at Atletico, but at 27 years old as one of the club’s top earners with two years left to run on his contract, if Tottenham can get somewhere between £40m-£50m, it may be time to part ways.

Below we look at three centre-backs for Spurs to consider as Romero's replacement.

Nathan Collins

While Brentford fans probably rate him just fine, Nathan Collins has become one of the most underrated defenders in the Premier League.

Moving from Burnley to Wolves for more than £20m after making just 18 starts was surprising at the time, as was Brentford doing similar 12 months later.

But having just turned 24, Collins has repaid that fee and if he is to move on in the summer, it will be for more than double the £23m the Bees spent on the Irishman in 2023.

Collins is now at the level where he could play European football, and with Brentford unlikely to reach that level this season, the centre-back may be on the move.

Tomas Araujo

Benfica defender Tomas Araujo has enjoyed a stellar breakthrough season in Portugal and is now courting the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, which may make a move to Tottenham difficult.

The latest off the Benfica conveyor belt, Araujo has split his time between centre-back and right-back this season, but he’s a solid defender and supremely comfortable with the ball at his feet.

The downside is that he’s under a long-term contract and his form means his asking price has sky-rocketed in the last 12 months, but Spurs may be able to get Romero’s long-term replacement for a similar price to what they’ll get for the Argentine.

Marc Guehi

Twelve months ago it looked like Newcastle would secure the signing of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, with the Toon making numerous bids for the defender, going up to £65m.

Palace held firm but had to turn down an even bigger approach from Tottenham in the winter with Spurs believed to have offered £70m.

It was a huge fee for a player with 18 months to run on his contract and unless he signs a new deal, it’s hard to see Palace letting Guehi leave on a free next summer.

Newcastle will go back in for the 24-year-old, but with UEFA Champions League football, maybe Spurs can convince Guehi to stay in London, while offering Palace much less than they did in January.

Liam Williams

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