Real Madrid are planning to make a bid for Tottenham Hotspur central defender Cristian Romero in the coming weeks after their dire performance against Paris Saint-Germain, according to a report, as Real Madrid’s stance on the defender is revealed.
After a disappointing 2024/25 campaign in which Madrid could not win LaLiga or the Champions League, Los Blancos have been very active in the summer transfer window, as they embark on a new era under new manager Xabi Alonso. While centre-back Dean Huijsen has joined Madrid from Bournemouth, right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has made the switch from Liverpool.
Franco Mastantuono is also on his way to the Santiago Bernabeu, with a deal having been agreed with River Plate for the Argentine midfielder to team up with Alonso’s squad in August when he turns 18.
While things had been looking rosy for a while under Alonso at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Madrid’s 4-0 hammering at the hands of European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals has forced the manager and president Florentino Perez to look at signing a new central defender in the summer transfer window.
Fichajes has now claimed that Madrid are planning to make a formal bid for the centre-back, who was described as “world-class” and “a top-class player with the ball and without the ball when defending” by his Tottenham team-mate Micky Van de Ven on Optus Sport in March 2024.
Madrid are not happy with Raul Asencio and Antonio Rudiger, and believe that Romero ‘meets the requirements’ that they are ‘looking for to lead their new defensive line’.
Los Blancos are planning ‘formal talks’ for the Argentina international centre-back and are willing to pay €80million (£69m, $93.4m) for the 27-year-old, who won the World Cup in 2022 and the Copa America in 2021 and 2024.
The report in the Spanish news outlet has added that Tottenham, who will play in the Champions League next season after winning the Europa League in the 2024/25 campaign, ‘haven’t ruled out receiving an official offer in the coming weeks’.
Romero has been superb for Tottenham over the years and is under contract at the north London club until the summer of 2027.
Real Madrid are not the only club from Madrid that are keen on Romero, with city rivals Atletico having long been credited with interest in the defender.
However, Madrid will be encouraged to know that Atletico have given up on the prospect of bringing Romero to the Metropolitano Stadium.
According to AS, Atletico made a formal approach for Romero, but Tottenham flatly turned it down.
While Atletico have been willing to pay €55m (£47.5m, $64m) for the defender, Spurs made it clear that they will not enter into negotiations for the Argentine star.
Atletico have already moved on, identifying Feyenoord’s David Hancko, Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie, Murillo of Nottingham Forest and Bologna ace Jhon Lucumi as potential tagets.
This will encourage Madrid, but Tottenham’s stance of not selling Romero will be a cause for concern.
However, Los Blancos’s planned bid for Romero is way more than Atletico, so that could help to sway Tottenham’s mind.
A Spanish report has claimed that Madrid have decided to put three players up for sale following the demolition from PSG at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, including Brahim Diaz.
A second source has claimed that Liverpool plan to make a bid for a Madrid superstar if they lose one of their best attacking players in the summer transfer window.
Ibrahima Konate has responded to a bid from Atletico Madrid, who are hoping to beat Real Madrid to the signing of the Liverpool central defender.