Cristian Romero’s Tottenham future is being discussed as a summer exit, and Fabrizio Romano has gone further than most. He said: “Romero is going to leave Tottenham this summer.” The same reporting points to Barcelona and Inter as the clubs watching closely, while Tottenham still have a contract running to 2029 in their favour.
Romano's exit read
Romano did not leave much room for ambiguity. He said: “Romero, I stand by my information, it's over between Romero and Tottenham.” He also added that Spurs have signed so many centre-backs and do not play European football this season, so they are ready to let him go.
That is the strongest version of the story so far, and it fits the wider noise around the defender. Romero’s most recent listed World Cup outing was rated 7.0 in a 2-1 win, and he averaged 7.16 across 7 World Cup appearances and 627 minutes. This does not look like a player being pushed out because of a collapse in form.
Barcelona and Inter's different routes
The next question is where he lands, and that part is still open. Romano said Inter are “very keen” and trying to work out whether they can make the money work, while Barcelona are interested only if they sell a defender first.
Barca Universal reports Barcelona would only pursue Romero if they first offload one of their own central defenders. It also says they need a left-footed centre-back to partner Pau Cubarsi, while Romero is right-footed. That makes the Barcelona link feel more like a conditional plan than an immediate move, even if they remain in the frame.
The fee side is not light either. Football Italia reports Tottenham want €50m for Romero, with wage demands also a major obstacle for Inter. Spurs’ place in the season only strengthens their leverage, they finished 17th in the Premier League, so there is no pressure on them to act as a distressed seller.
Barcelona finished 1st in La Liga and 5th in the Champions League standings block. Inter finished 1st in Serie A. Both clubs are operating at a level where Romero would be a squad upgrade rather than a rescue signing, which is why this has become a straight transfer fight, not a panic buy.
Romero now looks likely to spend the summer at the centre of that fight. Tottenham have the contract, the asking price and the leverage. Barcelona want a defender first, Inter want the player, and the story is still waiting on one club to make the move work.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →
