Atletico Madrid now face fresh competition in their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero.
Atletico Madrid have emerged as the clear front-runners for Romero’s signature after overtaking Inter Milan, who were not able to strike an agreement on personal terms with the Spurs star.
According to reports over recent days, Atletico are now preparing a second offer for the Tottenham man, which is expected to reach around €40m (£34.2m).
However, the La Liga club’s efforts to land the Argentine may be scuppered by one of their rivals, who have reentered the race for Romero.
Barcelona have reignited their interest in Tottenham’s Cristian Romero
Doble Amarilla reveal that the 2022 World Cup winner was on the verge of completing a move to the Metropolitano Stadium after Atlético struck an agreement with both Spurs and the player.
However, the situation has changed after Liverpool finalised a deal with Barcelona to sign defender Ronald Araújo on loan with an option to buy.
Barca have now set their sights on Romero as one of their priority options to replace Anfield-bound Araujo.
Hansi Flick values the Tottenham man’s leadership, personality and physical presence, with the Barca boss viewing the 28-year-old as the ‘ideal profile’ for his backline.
Arsenal are not giving up on Romero
Meanwhile, reports over the last couple of days have indicated that Arsenal are continuing to push hard for a controversial deal for Romero.
In fact, The Sun has even claimed that the Spurs captain is open to following in Sol Campbell’s footsteps by making a move across the North London divide.
However, the same update revealed that the move is unlikely to go through, with Tottenham having no intention of doing business with their fierce rivals.