Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race to sign Cristian Romero, who is also a transfer target for Manchester United this summer.
According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari on Twitter, the race for the signing of Atalanta centre-back Cristian Romero has intensified further, with Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur making enquiries for the Argentine, who is also on the radars of Manchester United.
Romero came through the ranks at Argentine club Belgrano before moving to Italy in 2018, when he signed for Genoa. Having made a solid impression in his debut season in Serie A, the 23-year-old was snapped up by Juventus in the summer of 2019, although he has since been loaned out by the Bianconeri.
Romero spent the 2019/20 campaign back at Genoa, following which he joined Atalanta on a two-year loan deal last year. The Argentine was one of La Dea’s most consistent performers in the season gone by, helping them to Champions League qualification. The Bergamo-based outfit have him on loan for another year but can also make the transfer permanent by triggering a to-buy clause.
Even if they do so, it seems like Atalanta could be set to offload him for a quick profit as the Argentine international, who won the 2021 Copa America, is attracting a lot of interest from across Europe.
Indeed, the 23-year-old has been on the radars of Manchester United for quite some time now. It is no secret that the Red Devils are looking at defensive reinforcements this summer, following yet another inconsistent season from the likes of Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen on securing the perfect long-term partner for club captain Harry Maguire.
Even though Raphael Varane seems to be closing in on a switch to Old Trafford, another centre-half may well be needed as Axel Tuanzebe is likely to head out on loan while Phil Jones is not part of the plans either. In addition to that, Bailly, too, has been linked with an exit, making Romero a viable target even if Manchester United sign Varane.
However, they will now have to face competition from both Barcelona and Tottenham, who are said to have made enquiries for the Argentine international. Barcelona have secured a new defender in the form of Eric Garcia, who arrived on a free transfer this summer. But, with question marks lingering over the futures of both Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet, coupled with Gerard Pique’s age, another defender wouldn’t go amiss.
As for Tottenham, they could potentially be looking at a defensive overhaul this summer with Toby Alderweireld headed for the exit doors while there is a chance that one of Davinson Sanchez or Eric Dier is also let go of. With Joe Rodon still lacking that bit of experience at the highest level, a new central defender becomes a top priority for new manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Tottenham have already been linked with a couple of Serie A-based centre-halves in Nikola Milenkovic and Takehiro Tomiyasu, with Romero now emerging as a potential target as well. What now remains to be seen is whether any of the three aforementioned giants of Europe decide to launch a formal offer for the Argentine or explore other targets. For now, Romero seems to be a man in demand this summer.
