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Thomas Frank appointment could lead to Tottenham transfer tilt; first XI star might stay put this summer

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 10:02 AM ET

Cristian Romero could make a stunning U-turn on his future and stay at Tottenham for another season amid Atletico Madrid interest

Thomas Frank is already making some key decisions as new head coach of Tottenham Hotspur.

The Dane, who gave his first official Spurs interview on Wednesday, must hit the ground running at White Hart Lane after swapping Brentford earlier this month. One of the key decisions he has taken so early into his Tottenham tenure is to sell skipper Son Heung-min this summer amid heavy links with Saudi Pro League clubs.

One of the biggest challenges for Thomas Frank is navigating the uncertainty surrounding the future of Cristian Romero. The Argentinean international has his heart set on a move to La Liga, where Atletico Madrid are the most interested club in his services.

Diego Simeone, the Atletico Madrid boss, wants to strengthen the spine of his team with the Spurs star’s acquisition. He openly admitted his desire to work with Cristian Romero, calling him a “great player”. However, there appears to be a twist in the tale, with Romero now making a complete U-turn on his own future.

According to a report from reliable Argentinean outlet TyC Sports, Romero is intrigued by Frank’s appointment and the difference he could make to the current Tottenham team. The new project, coupled with the fact that Spurs will be playing in the Champions League next season, could lead the 27-year-old to decide to stay at least one more year in North London.

Spurs returning to the Champions League after a three-year hiatus appears to be a major factor for the South American star, who remains contracted until 2027, whilst his £70m-plus price tag is understood to be an obstacle for Atletico. The La Liga side are not willing to meet Spurs’ valuation and would only go up to £50m for the central defender.

Retaining Romero’s services would be a massive boost for Frank and Tottenham, if that proves to be the case. The Cordoba-born defensive stalwart missed majority of the chunks of last campaign due to two separate injuries, and his absence hugely hurt the team. Micky van de Ven, his centre-back partner, also was out of action for more than three months, leading former boss Ange Postecoglou to go with Radu Dragusin and makeshift solution.

The duo regained full fitness during the business end of the campaign and started the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao, where Romero delivered a Man of the Match performance and proved his worth once again to the team.

With Kevin Danso signed permanently from RC Lens, keeping Romero for another year would be great for the new boss in rebuilding the squad. This may lead to alteration in plans when it comes to signing a central defender, and perhaps we could see the club deciding to keep Luka Vuskovic and integrate him into the first team after his excellent loan spell with KVC Westerloo.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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