Tottenham Hotspur are negotiating with Atlético Madrid over a potential departure for centre-back Cristian Romero, while working simultaneously to secure the long-term future of Micky van de Ven with a new five-year contract.
The north London club have firmly turned down interest from Arsenal in Romero, refusing to sanction a sale to a direct Premier League rival. The Argentina international has been open about wanting a fresh challenge away from Spurs, even though he put pen to paper on a new four-year deal only at the start of last season.
Romero appeared close to sealing a switch to Inter Milan, with a fee in the region of £35m reportedly on the table. However, Atlético Madrid have long been keen admirers of the 28-year-old defender and are said to be his preferred next destination. Diego Simeone's side are understood to be willing to match the offer put forward by the Serie A giants in order to win the race for his signature.
According to reports from Spain, personal terms between Romero and Atlético have already been sorted out. Despite that progress, any deal may be delayed until the Spanish club can create the necessary room in their squad. Nahuel Molina, who plays alongside Romero in the Argentina national team, is tipped to depart for Roma, while Aston Villa are pushing to bring in Matteo Ruggeri as part of the wider defensive reshuffle that could clear a path for Atlético to move for Romero.
Arsenal's interest in the defender stemmed from their search for defensive reinforcements following an injury setback to William Saliba, who faces a lengthy layoff because of a back problem. The Gunners have also been linked with Villa's Ezri Konsa as they look to bolster their options at the back. Tottenham, though, have made clear they have no intention of strengthening a Premier League competitor, having already recruited defenders Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi during this transfer window.
While Romero's Spurs future appears to be heading towards an exit, the situation with Van de Ven looks set to end very differently. The Dutch international had reportedly begun weighing up his own future in north London earlier in the summer, following Tottenham's narrow escape from relegation last season. However, the arrival of new head coach Roberto De Zerbi has changed his outlook, with talks between the club and his representatives leading Van de Ven to commit his long-term future to Spurs.
Tottenham's summer spending has already surpassed £200m across six new signings, and the club are still expected to add further attacking reinforcements before the transfer window closes. De Zerbi recently gave an update on the club's recruitment drive, stating that the squad rebuild was well underway.
"We have completed 60% of our project in the transfer market," De Zerbi said, signalling that more incomings—and possibly outgoings—could follow before deadline day.
With Romero's move to Atlético potentially hinging on the Spanish club's ability to offload other defenders, and Van de Ven's new deal expected to be finalised soon, Tottenham's defensive setup looks poised for significant change this summer even as they continue to resist advances from their London rivals.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.