Romero ‘could be fined by Tottenham’ after bombshell transfer news, talks mooted
Cristian Romero could face a fine after once again finding himself in hot water at Tottenham.
The World Cup winner will be focusing on the upcoming UEFA Europa League final against Manchester United at the Estadio de San Mamés on Wednesday (21 May).
Ange Postecoglou will hope that the vice-captain will use his experience in winning international tournaments to help Spurs overcome the mental hurdle of not having lifted a trophy since 2008.
However, Postecoglou will also hope Romero’s mind is firmly on the task at hand, especially after recent transfer developments.
Romero could be fined after agreeing to join Atletico Madrid
As reported by Sébastien Vidal on Tuesday, 6 May, Romero has already agreed terms on a five-year contract with Atletico Madrid.
Therefore, the centre-back is expected to leave Tottenham. However, Romero’s exit could be a sour one.
When asked if the 27-year-old could be punished for agreeing to leave Spurs outside of the transfer window, football finance expert Dan Plumley exclusively told Tottenham News, “I think it depends on the circumstances, ultimately.
“Not to get too overly technical on the legal side of things, but obviously, if it is a breach of contract, as an example, then that is punishable. Whether or not these kinds of things would fall into breach of contract, you don’t know without seeing the contract.
“Therefore, if it is not that, and it is a little bit more informal, I suppose the club could look to have a word with the player, or fine him internally, those kinds of things, or again, depending on the circutsmatcnes, they might say, ‘Okay, well it is done anyway’, and leave it be.
“I think there is a scale to that, and it depends on the severity, a bit like stuff around breach of contract and what they can and cannot say, would be different to a slip of the tongue, and a slap on the wrist, so to speak.”
Spurs are a better team with Romero
Postecoglou has bemoaned the injury crisis that has plagued him since he arrived at Tottenham, often citing Romero alongside his defensive partner Micky Van de Ven as the two most crucial absentees.
| Team | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| With Romero | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Without Romero | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
The team performs much better with Romero commanding the back line, even if his enthusiasm for defending can sometimes boil over.
The main facet of the game that sets the Argentina international apart is his passing range, which allows Spurs to resist attempts to press them and quickly launch into an attack.
Therefore, if Romero is to leave Tottenham this summer, which is looking increasingly likely, replacing him could prove to be difficult, and more importantly for Levy, expensive.
As a result, while the defender might have already agreed personal terms over his exit, a move to Atletico Madrid is only likely to come to fruition if Tottenham are satisfied with the terms presented to them.