Tottenham center back Cristian Romero has been the subject of significant transfer speculation over the past several weeks, which he himself started by stating in an interview on Spurs grounds that he is dreaming of a transfer to LaLiga. Atletico Madrid have been recruiting both Romero and Spurs center midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur for a summer 2025 transfer, and there is even a report from Relevo in Spain indicating that Romero has already given the green light to Atleti.
With Julian Alvarez publicly recruiting his countryman to the Spanish capital, it has begun to seem more and more like Romero is more out than in at Tottenham. And after his interview stating he dreamed of a LaLiga move despite being vice captain of Tottenham with plenty to play for in the season, many Spurs fans were eager to see the back side of the star center back.
That opinion may have changed as a result of Romero's performance against Bodo Glimt. For the second straight decisive second leg in the Europa League knockouts, Romero was one of the standout performers on the pitch.
Cristian Romero showed heart in Tottenham's win
With a 3-1 lead on aggregate, Tottenham didn't necessarily need to win the second leg on the road, but they did 2-0. The first goal came as a result of Romero smartly heading the ball into the path of striker Dominic Solanke, who was positioned literally right in front of the goal with no choice but to score.
It was yet another decisive attacking action from Romero, who is legitimately one of the best center backs in the world on the attacking end with his combination of skill on the ball, quality of passing, aerial ability, and willingness to join attacks.
Overall, it was another strong game from Romero, who showed a lot of heart and poise in the kind of game that Tottenham have, historically, blown badly in the Europa League. Romero had his shaky games in the Premier League this past month, but he was an absolute boss on Thursday night at Bodo Glimt with a pass completion percentage of 96.3, two tackles, two interceptions, five clearances, and a blocked shot for good measure.
In all reality, Romero's display against Bodo Glimt isn't going to change his future at Tottenham, because this isn't a situation about what the fans or even the club wants. It's mostly about what Romero wants. And if Romero wants to join Atletico Madrid, he can basically force a move there if it comes to it, even if Atleti don't quite meet Spurs asking price of 60 million euros.
However, the path to Romero staying is more likely now than before this game. For the Tottenham fans upset about his interview, they may see things differently regarding Romero's passion for the club and professionalism because actions do speak louder than words. And Romero's actions in both second legs against Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodo Glimt have spoken volumes.
Meanwhile, if Tottenham see increased importance in Romero, especially in these big games, they may be more inclined to dig their heels in with their transfer price. Currently, Atletico are only offering 40 million euros, which is way off of Spurs evaluation of the player. If Atleti don't meet the closer to halfway or if Tottenham stand firm at 60 million euros, a move won't happen if Romero doesn't forcibly want it. That's a different story than how things looked before this second leg.