Cristian Romero backlash puts Tottenham's summer plans under pressure

Cristian Romero's late return to England has not quieted the noise around Tottenham's captain. He had been sidelined since April with a season-ending knee injury after the problem against Sunderland on April 12, travelled back to Argentina instead of attending Tottenham's crucial home clash against Everton, then returned to London after the backlash. Spurs are also increasingly open to parting ways with him if their valuation is met in the upcoming transfer window.

Why the criticism has been so fierce

Glenn Hoddle did not hide his view. Speaking to goal.com, he said: "I'd drive him to the airport and say don't bother coming back. It sums his selfishness up. He can't be a captain and act like that. If it was for his family or something like that then fine but if this is true that he's going back to watch a football match, then let him stay in Argentina and get as much money for him as possible."

Teddy Sheringham was just as blunt. He said: "The biggest game in the history of the club This is going to be one nervy game and when your captain is not there that does not set a good example for everyone. That is naughty, that is loose from whoever is letting him do what he wants to do."

Those comments landed because Romero was not some peripheral figure before the injury. He made 23 Premier League appearances for Tottenham, and his 7.13 Premier League rating shows the club were losing a proper defender, not just a captaincy badge. He also averaged 7.11 in the Champions League.

The trip itself has been framed two ways in the brief. One version says he went to continue rehabilitation and attend Belgrano v River Plate. Critics have pushed the harsher version, that he went back to watch a football match. Either way, the optics were poor for a captain missing a key home fixture.

What it means for Romero's future

The football side of this is not cleanly separate from the future side. A player who has been out since April, has drawn that kind of reaction, and is now back in England is still being discussed in transfer terms because Spurs are open to a sale if a buyer meets their price. Atletico Madrid are attentive, but the brief does not say any bid or fee has been agreed.

There is also a practical point. Romero's return to London does not guarantee he will be involved against Everton, and the sources are clear that there was no certainty over his presence at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. That detail matters because his situation has moved beyond simple rehab management.

For Tottenham, the problem is not just one bad decision. It is that the captaincy, the injury, the trip and the possible sale all sit in the same story now. If Spurs do cash in this summer, the argument over leadership will be part of why.