Tottenham Set to Sell Cristian Romero to Serie A or LaLiga Giants

Tottenham are preparing to cut loose one of the pillars of their defence, with Cristian Romero expected to leave north London before the transfer window closes and serious interest arriving from both Barcelona and Inter Milan.

This is not a marginal call. It is a reset.

Spurs have thrown their weight behind Roberto De Zerbi this summer, and the recruitment drive has been aggressive. Around £237m has gone on Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, a statement of intent that has reshaped the spine of the squad in a single window.

Experience has been layered on top. Martin Dubravka, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson have all arrived as free agents, bringing games, leadership and dressing-room presence without transfer fees. It is at centre-back, though, where the squeeze is being felt most.

With Senesi joining and Van Hecke also able to play in the heart of defence, De Zerbi now has a crowded stable. Micky van de Ven remains, Kevin Danso is in the building, and Tottenham do not have the extra burden – or lure – of European football this season. For someone, the door had to open.

All signs point to Romero walking through it.

“It’s over between Romero and Tottenham”

Fabrizio Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, left little room for ambiguity about the Argentina international’s future.

“Romero, I stand by my information, it’s over between Romero and Tottenham,” he said. “Romero is going to leave Tottenham this summer. He’s leaving, that’s the intention.

“Spurs signed so many centre-backs. They have Micky van de Ven, Van Hecke, Senesi, Kevin Danso, and don’t play European football this season, so they’re ready to let Romero go.”

Romero has been a constant presence in the Tottenham back line since his initial loan move in 2021, a defender who plays on the edge, sometimes over it, but rarely without impact. Letting him go is not a cosmetic tweak; it is a major structural change.

The market, predictably, has reacted.

Inter push, Barcelona wait

Inter Milan have moved quickest. The Serie A champions are described as “very keen” on the 28-year-old, with Romano stressing that the main obstacle lies not in desire but in finance.

“Inter Milan are very keen on the player. We have to understand if financially they can make it happen, but Inter are on it for Romero,” he explained.

Barcelona, by contrast, sit in a holding pattern. The interest is real, but conditional.

“Barcelona are interested, but only if they sell a defender this summer. If they let a centre-back leave, in that case there’s a possibility for Romero to join, but only as a domino.”

The Catalan club’s familiar financial tightrope means Romero is not a straightforward target. Someone has to go before he can come in. Until then, Inter have a clear run at a player who already knows Italian football well from his time with Atalanta and Juventus.

Reports from Italy back that up. Sources there state that Tottenham are not just open to a sale; they are ready for it. Crucially, Romero is also said to be comfortable closing this chapter of his career and has shown a willingness to join Inter. This is not a case of a player stalling in the hope that Barcelona call.

Price, risk and timing

The numbers will dictate how quickly this story moves. Tottenham’s internal valuation, as revealed by club insider Graeme Bailey, sits at around £50m. That would represent a strong return for a defender with Premier League pedigree and a World Cup winner’s medal.

Reality may bite a little harder.

Romero’s injury record has been patchy, and at 28 he is no longer the upside-heavy project he once was. Inside the club there is an acceptance that a compromise might be needed, with a fee closer to £40m likely to get a deal over the line.

For Spurs, that money matters. It would help balance a window in which they have already committed heavily to De Zerbi’s vision, and it would clear space in a department that has become overcrowded in a season without European fixtures.

For Romero, the choice looks stark but enticing: lead the line for the champions of Italy or step into the pressure cooker of the Camp Nou, if Barcelona can trigger the domino effect they need.

Tottenham have made their decision. Now the defender and Europe’s heavyweights will decide how costly it will be – and where one of the Premier League’s most combative centre-backs plants his flag next.