Fabrizio Romano has made it abundantly clear: Cristian Romero is leaving Tottenham Hotspur this summer. "100%".
This has always been the expectation after a terrible season as captain. Romero can perform like one of the world's best centre-backs, and losing him is undoubtedly a blow, but it just feels like the right time to move on.
Spurs hoped Romero would showcase his best work at this summer's World Cup, despite entering the tournament with a knee injury he sustained in April. The early signs weren't promising, picking up a knock on Matchday 2, but he came to the fore in the knockout stages.
Argentina struggled defensively as a collective, but I thought Romero was brilliant. Even his forays forward proved effective. The centre-back's departure from the final through injury was a major blow, even if deserved winners Spain didn't break the deadlock until the second half of extra time.
His presence in the shop window has proved fruitful for Spurs, with Romero's market livening up after a quiet start to the summer.
Inter Milan working on Cristian Romero deal as Barcelona look elsewhere
Fabrizio is an elite regurgitator of information, and his latest Romero update only offers a subtle tweak from what we already knew. There's a clear suggestion that Inter Milan are leading the race to sign the Argentine, with the Scudetto holders set to hold direct talks with Romero's camp this week.
Barcelona are also among those interested, which they have been ever since Lionel Messi offered his compatriot as a recommendation. However, Fabrizio notes that they will only go after Romero in the event of centre-back departures.
Other outlets have also reported that Aymeric Laporte may be heading to Catalonia after his imperious World Cup campaign alongside Barça's Pau CubarsÃ. Laporte is said to be available for less than €15m, and is a much safer deal than Romero, given how effectively he partnered Cubarsà this summer.
A return to Serie A via Inter would be brilliant for Romero. A former defensive MVP of the division, Romero would absolutely thrive at the heart of the Nerazzurri's back three. The Argentine's shortcomings as an overeager jumper out of defence will likely be allayed by Inter's tendency to drop into a deeper defensive block, and just imagine how good he'll look on the ball over there.
However, if Inter do strike a deal, don't expect them to pay bucket loads. There's no money in the Italian game at the moment, and some reports suggest Spurs may only receive £40m for selling their captain.
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