Tottenham star center back Cristian Romero has been the man of the hour alongside manager Ange Postecoglou after Spurs historic Europa League triumph against Manchester United in Spain. Romero put together a defensive monsterclass alongside fellow star central defender Micky van de Ven, blanking Bruno Fernandes and the Red Devils mercurial attack.
For his efforts in all the big games of the Europa League knockout stages, Romero was even named the official Player of the Tournament. While you would think that would drum up the transfer interest in Romero and make an exit more likely, if anything, it's helped increase the chances of the 26-year-old Argentinian international staying in North London.
Just a few weeks ago, there was a time when it seemed like Romero leaving Tottenham would be a foregone conclusion after a public interview in which the vice captain said that he was dreaming of a move to LaLiga, followed by rumors that Atletico Madrid were about to agree to terms with the Tottenham center back.
Atletico Madrid are still lowballing Tottenham
Atletico Madrid and their manager Diego Simeone are still very much interested in signing Romero, but with Ange Postecoglou publicly angling to keep the defender, the Rojiblancos are going to have to try a lot harder to sway Romero and Daniel Levy to make a move.
According to the latest information from Sky Sports editor Lyall Thomas, Atletico Madrid are expected to make a new transfer approach for Romero soon, possibly in the coming week. Atleti are prepared to offer just 45 million euros for the 26-year-old defender, yet they believe Spurs are only going to want offers around 60 million euros or more. It's also not certain that Levy will even listen to any offer for Romero, which jibes with some other recent rumor talk.
Basically, all of this taken together points to it being highly unlikely that Romero is sold this summer. His value to Tottenham is at an all-time high after both the Europa League win and the public adoration for the player from fans and the manager alike. Even Levy seems to be reluctant to sell, which is a rarity since Romero is a very good transfer asset for Tottenham.
Yet he's a much bigger asset on the pitch if all Atletico Madrid are going to offer is 45 million euros, which is pretty insulting for a top Premier League center back coming off a big tournament performance. Levy and Tottenham can't shop around Romero for that little. Given Postecoglou's clear admiration for Romero and their close relationship, this latest news will be wonderful for Big Ange to hear and may also increase his chances of staying with another notable ally likely staying in the dressing room.