Cristian Romero's future is being pulled in three directions at once. Arsenal are reportedly pushing hard and have contacted his representatives, Inter say they already have a deal in principle with Tottenham, and Atletico Madrid are preparing a £30m opening offer. It is a messy chase, but the key point is simple enough: this is no longer just one club sniffing around Romero.

Inter's head start

Inter's line is the most advanced. Piero Ausilio said: "It's definitely a deal we are trying to sign with the player and the club. These things take some time but there's definitely interest. Let's see." The Italian club have already agreed a €40million (£34.2m) fee in principle with Tottenham, although the reporting around the figure is not identical across sources.

Romero is still producing at a level that explains why the interest has not gone away. He posted a 7.9 rating in a 3-2 World Cup win against Switzerland, then a 7.0 rating against France in his latest World Cup outing.

Arsenal and Atletico's push

Arsenal's interest is the shock element, and the motivation is easy to see. William Saliba has been ruled out of the start of the Premier League campaign after a back injury at the 2026 World Cup, which leaves Mikel Arteta needing immediate cover in central defence. Arsenal went 8 for 8 in the Champions League and are first in the Premier League, so this is a strengthening move rather than a rescue job.

Atletico are also in the mix, and they are said to be preparing that £30m opening bid while looking to fund it by selling Matteo Ruggeri to Aston Villa and Nahuel Molina to Roma. The stand-off now looks less like a single transfer story and more like a three-way auction for a captain who still has plenty of takers.

Tottenham's side of it is awkward enough already. The club finished 17th in the Premier League last season, which helps explain why a move away is being discussed at all. On the pitch, Romero remains good enough to keep the market open. Off it, the next move belongs to the clubs who are willing to turn interest into an offer.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →