Barcelona have reportedly lodged their opening offer for 23-year-old Argentine defender Cristian Romero, who is also a target for Tottenham.
According to Sportitalia journalist Gianluigi Longari, Barcelona have made their first move to land Cristian Romero in the summer transfer window. The 23-year-old Argentine international is also the subject of interest from Tottenham Hotspur, who have identified him as their priority target.
Cristian Romero is coming off the back of his best season to date in his young career so far. Having joined Atalanta on a two-year loan deal from Juventus, the 23-year-old was so impressive that he was adjudged to be the best defender in Serie A in 2020/21, wherein he made 42 appearances for La Dea while chipping in with three goals and five assists in the process.
His exploits at club level also helped Romero break into the Argentine national side, and he was a part of the victorious team at Copa America this summer. At club level, though, the youngster could be set for a change of scenery in the ongoing transfer window, with Barcelona and Tottenham going head-to-head in his pursuit.
The interest from Barcelona is not too surprising despite the fact that they signed Eric Garcia earlier this summer. Indeed, with Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet in a precarious position at Camp Nou, the Blaugrana need to be on the lookout for a second central defensive arrival this summer.
Three potential Cristian Romero alternatives for Tottenham to consider | THT Opinions
To that end, Romero is a viable target for Barcelona, who have now made their opening offer for the 23-year-old. Tottenham, on the other hand, view Romero as the priority central defensive target in the ongoing window following the departure of Toby Alderweireld to Qatari outfit Al-Duhail.
The Belgian’s exit has left a massive void in Tottenham’s defensive setup, one that can surely be filled by someone like Romero. Having said that, as per recent rumours, Spurs are keeping their options open, with the likes of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Nikola Milenkovic and Kurt Zouma among those linked with the Lilywhites.
As far as their pursuit of Romero is concerned, Tottenham will need to step up if they are to beat Barcelona to his signing following the Catalan giants’ opening offer. It will also be interesting to see if Barcelona’s bid is enough to convince Atalanta to part ways with the 23-year-old or if Spurs can produce a better offer.
