Cristian Romero’s future at Tottenham Hotspur already appears uncertain, and his latest injury concern may now complicate matters even further.
Several reports, including from Fabrizio Romano, have stated that Cristian Romero is expected to leave Tottenham this summer despite signing a new contract less than a year ago.
Tottenham have already put plans in place for life after Romero, signing Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke last month.
Both defenders have built strong reputations for their ability on the ball, an area where Romero has been one of Europe’s standout performers throughout his five years in North London.
Inter Milan and several clubs in Spain continue to be linked with the Argentina international, while recent reports have suggested Tottenham could be willing to sell for around £43m.
Spurs will undoubtedly hope growing interest creates a bidding war, although the defender’s latest fitness issue may not help their cause.
Tottenham captain Cristian Romero forced off during Argentina’s World Cup final defeat
One factor behind Tottenham’s willingness to cash in on Romero could be his recurring fitness concerns, which once again became an issue towards the end of last season.
The defender missed Tottenham’s final six Premier League matches because of a knee injury before recovering in time to represent Argentina at the World Cup.
Although Romero started all but one of Argentina’s matches, injury concerns continued to follow him throughout the tournament. After undergoing a scan on a calf problem earlier in the competition, he was substituted in 5 of the 7 matches he started.
One of those came most recently in the World Cup final against Spain, where Romero was forced off shortly before the second hydration break.
The 28-year-old was no longer on the pitch when Ferran Torres scored the extra-time winner, while Argentina had also already lost his defensive partner Lisandro Martinez, who had been substituted during the first half with a thigh injury.
There has been no official confirmation regarding the exact nature or severity of Romero’s latest issue, but it appeared to be another muscular problem affecting his leg.
This comes amidst reports that Tottenham may have to drop Romero’s price tag by £10m due to injury concerns this summer.
Romero made more headlines at the World Cup final
Romero also found himself in the headlines after the defeat, but this time it had nothing to do with his performance.
The Tottenham captain was mostly absent from the post-match scuffle involving players from both sides, only to reappear when Argentina’s squad went up to collect their runners-up medals.
As the medals were presented by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, alongside US President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Romero appeared to walk straight past Trump without acknowledging him.
The defender did, however, shake hands with Sheinbaum, Carney and Infantino before leaving the stage. Romero was appeared to be the only Argentina player to avoid a handshake, with the incident quickly going viral on social media.