Tottenham Hotspur have an embarrassment of riches at the center back position, and after watching the way Europa League Player of the Season Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and even third center back Kevin Danso teamed up to take down clubs en route to a victorious Europa League title run, Spurs supporters wouldn't trade any of their center backs for anything in the world.
They were, therefore, ecstatic that Atletico Madrid's overtures for Argentinian World Cup and Copa America hero Romero didn't go anywhere, keeping one of the world's finest center back trios intact for the 2025/26 Premier League and Champions League seasons. And if you are high on Radu Dragusin under new manager Thomas Frank, then you could call it a quartet.
What's even wilder is that Tottenham could have had, by far, the best quintet of center backs in the world if they decided to keep Luka Vuskovic. But after a standout preseason, Spurs felt it was best to let Vuskovic spread his wings on loan to Bundesliga side Hamburg, in need of new defensive star power upon their return to the German top flight.
Vuksovic is just 18 years old, but Spurs fans are already buzzing about their next Sergio Ramos, and even former Tottenham manager Martin Jol is waxing poetic about the future potential of this special center back talent.
Ex-Tottenham manager sells Cristian Romero a bit short
He told Football.London's Alasdair Gold that Vuskovic has what it takes to be an even better player than Cristian Romero, who is currently Spurs best center back and widely recognized by fans and his peers as one of the best in the world:
"[Cristian] Romero could go anywhere but you feel like if he plays for a while at his top level, he will get injured. Romero is a good, decent defender, but I will tell you one thing, the guy they sent to Hamburg now - Luka Vuskovic - will be better."
It's a bold claim from the one-time Tottenham coach, but it's one of the only bold claims at Romero's expense that Spurs fans may actually entertain. Because if they aren't going to take any center back over Romero or Van de Ven in the world, the one they may take is someone who is already a Spur.
Although Jol does downplay Romero a bit by underselling him as "good" and "decent" when it's pretty clear that he's world-class with what he's accomplished for Argentina and Tottenham as a serial trophy-winner, the reality is that Vuskovic has the potential to be even better.
That's no statement against Romero but rather effusive praise for Vuskovic's potential. Of course, potential is a funny way to say that a player hasn't actually accomplished anything yet, and, for that reason, you really have to tip your cap off to Romero, at the end of the day, for becoming what he's become in world football as a top-level center back. Spurs are very fortunate to have all these guys within their ranks here in 2025.