Tottenham Hotspur, who is not eager to renew his contract with Son Heung-min, is hitting out Real Madrid's interest in Christian Romero.
British media The Hard Task reported on the 13th (Korea time) that "Tottenham is not willing to sell Romero despite Real Madrid's interest. I have no intention of approving Romero's transfer, the mainstay of defense."
According to media, Real are aiming for Romero because of the injury in the defense line. Real, which failed to recruit a new defender in the transfer market last summer, has not been able to fill the void left by Nacho Fernandez. David Alaba is suffering from poor condition, and Eder Militão has been out of his team for a long time due to a serious knee injury. It is urgent to strengthen the defense.
Real's standout player is Romero. Romero is an Argentine center back who has made tremendous progress by joining Tottenham after exploding his talent with Italy's Serie A Atalanta. Romero, who joined on a loan in the summer of 2021, performed amazingly in his first season and succeeded in a complete transfer to Tottenham. Although his tough personality and style of play are pointed out, he has always been an indispensable defender for Tottenham.
Since last season, he has been appointed as a vice-captain to assist Captain Son Heung-min. If Son leads the team with soft leadership, Romero energized the fighting spirit and energy.
Romero's performance in the 2023-24 season has been extraordinary. Romero, who helped captain Son Heung-min by being named vice-captain alongside James Maddison after Anji Postecoglou took over, stood firm when his new centre-back partner Mickey van der Penn was sidelined for an extended period due to injury. Had it not been for Romero, Tottenham would have finished the season in a lower position than fifth.
Real plans to strengthen its defense by recruiting Romero.
"Real could surprise Tottenham manager Anji Postecoglou. Tottenham wants to prepare for Real's massive offer," Team Talk said. "Postecoglou may have to run next season without Romero, one of the most important players. Romero is also vice-captain and enjoys playing under Postecoglou, but it will be very difficult to reject Real's offer."
"Romero, the symbol of Tottenham, has become the target of Real. We want to strengthen our defense line as key players such as Nacho and Alaba are uncertain about the possibility of departure, injury and recovery of Eder Militão," the Spanish team said. "Romero, who has been recognized for his solid defense and game prediction ability, has become an attractive option for Real. The team's board members agree on the need to strengthen their defense as the best player, and Romero has a profile that fits perfectly."
But Tottenham have no intention of giving Romero away.
"Real have long been interested in Romero, who has done amazing things for the club and the country. Real are rekindling their interest in the Argentine national defender, but Tottenham do not want to sell Romero," The Hardtackle said. "Tottenham is desperate to keep Romero, who is signed until 2027. We have not made any progress on a potential new contract, but sending out the main players is not an option. Real will have to look for another target."
Tottenham's attitude, which quickly blocked Real's interest in Romero, is completely different from the lukewarm attitude shown to Son Heung-min.
Tottenham also plans to raise its annual salary to around 19 billion won. It is expected to become the No. 1 player in Tottenham's annual salary, beating Son Heung-min, who is around 18 billion won.
Son's contract with Tottenham will be terminated next summer. Tottenham prefers to use an option to extend the contract by one year instead of renewing the contract. However, Tottenham has yet to make any concrete moves despite countless reports.
The Telegraph, a leading British newspaper, recently said, "Tottenham just needs to tell Son Heung-min that they have activated the option to extend their contract. We know that Tottenham intends to do so. Son Heung-min will now spend more than 10 years at Tottenham."
British media TBR Football said, "Tottenham has reportedly told Son Heung-min that it has no plans to negotiate with Son on a new contract," adding, "This decision came as a shock to Son's aides as well. Son Heung-min and Son Heung-min's camp had been in talks with Tottenham about a new contract. Both sides were positive about extending the contract, but Tottenham seems to have suddenly changed its attitude," adding that Tottenham has no intention of renewing the contract. 토토사이트
"Now is the time for Tottenham to invoke Son's one-year extension option," he said. "Son Heung-min's side has also recognized that the club has no long-term renewal negotiations. I am not surprised (by Tottenham's decision) because it took a long time, but I am not satisfied either," he said, adding that Son Heung-min has also given up talking with Tottenham.
"Tottenham should look at this from a realistic perspective. They have already spent a lot of money to recruit Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski are showing good performances in their positions," he said. "Tottenham is thinking about a future without Son Heung-min. Why would Tottenham sign a multi-year contract with an older player when there are young players?" he said. "There is no reason why Tottenham should sign a long-term contract with Son Heung-min."
Tottenham's attitude toward Son Heung-min and Romero is markedly different. From Tottenham's point of view, it may have decided that it is better to pay attention to Romero, who still has a strong future than to invest in Son Heung-min, who is older. The future of the two players is expected to be the biggest concern of Tottenham fans.