Cristian Romero's summer is starting to look like a proper market story rather than a quiet background rumour. Inter have made their interest public, Arsenal and Chelsea are now being linked, and Tottenham are reportedly prepared to listen at a far lower price than before. The reported asking price has moved from about £60.3m to around £25.9m.

Inter have gone on the record

Piero Ausilo did not leave much room for doubt when he spoke about Cristian Romero. "It's definitely a deal we are trying to sign with the player and the club (Tottenham). These things take some time but there's definitely interest. Let's see," the Inter sporting director told mirror.co.uk.

That is the clearest public admission in the story so far. Corriere dello Sport also reported that "both Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso's sides are among those vying for the former Atalanta defender", which is where the Arsenal and Chelsea chatter enters the picture.

Tottenham's price and Romero's season

The fee talk is the big shift. Tottenham are reportedly seeking approximately £25.9m for Romero after previously valuing him at around £60.3m, a drop that makes the deal feel more accessible to more than one club.

Romero's own numbers do not look like those of a player on the slide. He has a 7.16 season rating, has played 627 minutes and has made 7 appearances. In his last five league games, his recent average rating has been 7, with a peak of 7.9 in one of those matches.

There is also the wider backdrop of his Spurs season. Romero flew back to Argentina for knee treatment, which drew fan backlash before he returned for Tottenham's Premier League clash against Everton. Spurs also finished 17th on 41 points, which is not the sort of season that settles uncertainty around a captain's future.

For now, the facts point to a summer chase rather than a done deal. Inter are active, Arsenal and Chelsea are in the conversation, and Tottenham's reported asking price has made the move look more realistic than it did when the valuation was closer to £60.3m.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →