Credit: Imago

Daniel Davis

Tue 10 March 2026 10:10, UK

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly open to selling Cristian Romero as they plot a huge summer squad overhaul – but there’s a darker reason behind the decision.

Spurs are fighting for their Premier League lives with a torrid campaign leaving them teetering just one point above the relegation zone with nine games to go.

Romero has spoken openly of his dissatisfaction with the running of the club, believing the lack of ambition behind the scenes is damaging their trophy ambitions.

It perhaps comes as no surprise, then, that Spurs could allow their rebel captain to leave amid a fresh transfer update and risk a backlash from furious supporters fed up with mediocrity.

Why do Tottenham want to sell Cristian Romero?

According to The Telegraph, Tottenham are increasingly confident that a parting of the ways at the end of the campaign could be the best course of action.

Romero has been at least partly culpable for the club’s current plight, having missed six matches through suspension and made numerous other costly mistakes.

Regardless, the defender could fetch a significant fee worth over £50million, which would help to fund much-needed sweeping changes in the dressing room.

Spurs are somewhat hamstrung by the same financial rules hurting Premier League rivals, and the potential sale of Romero would hand them some breathing space.

The 27-year-old may also be open to a new challenge, having initially been tipped to leave after May’s Europa League success, making a departure the most likely scenario.

Real Madrid have been linked with Romero, too, but he hasn’t addressed the speculation.

But there are murkier forces at play that encapsulate the crisis at the North London side.

Why Romero can’t be allowed to leave Spurs

Simply put, Romero is being made to pay for his criticism of the board. But rather than quashing his dissent, they should embrace it and have it serve as a warning.

Yes, those kinds of heated discussions are better left behind closed doors. However, Romero’s sheer ambition is admirable, and Spurs must match his wishes.

Despite his dissatisfaction, Romero has impressed on the pitch.

He has made 21 Premier League appearances, including 20 starts. Romero averages 2.5 tackles per game, as well as 1.3 interceptions and 3.8 balls recovered.

A formidable character, he has won 65 per cent of his duels, with a 71 per cent success rate in the air. Handily, Romero has also chipped in with four goals and an assist.

His statistics prove that Spurs would be in a far worse position without him, and numerous other players should be leaving before their skipper in the summer.

Allowing him to slip through their fingers would be one mistake too far.