Tottenham reach ‘total agreement’ to sign Cristian Romero but transfer being held up
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Tottenham’s transfer for defender Cristian Romero is reportedly being held up, despite Spurs reaching an ‘agreement’ with Atalanta for the move to happen.
The North Londoners have made additions to the back line a priority this summer after their frailties were exposed under Jose Mourinho and then interim boss Ryan Mason.
New head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is revamping his defensive options and has sold long-serving centre-back Toby Alderweireld to Qatari club Al-Duhail.
Alderweireld, 32, became a fans’ favourite at Tottenham but has now been moved on to allow Espirito Santo to bring in his desired targets.
One of those appears to be Argentine defender Romero, who is widely expected to become the Tottenham boss’ third signing since being appointed as Mourinho’s permanent successor in June.
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However, the £42.6m move might need to wait a little longer because the Serie A side are waiting to complete a deal for a replacement, according to Spanish outlet TyC Sports.
Atalanta reportedly want to sign Merih Demiral from Juventus and want to conclude the transfer before allowing Romero to leave for Tottenham.
Espirito Santo has had his centre-back options depleted by the departure of Alderweireld and will want additions signed immediately.
The only recognised first-team players who can play in the position are Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez and Joe Rodon.
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Only the latter impressed with his performances last term, although his game time was limited following his summer move from Swansea City.
It is not yet clear whether Espirito Santo will operate with the back-three system that made his Wolves side so successful.
The Portuguese head coach navigated the Midlands clubs out of the Championship and qualified for the Europa League in their first season back in the Premier League.
Espirito Santo mutually agreed to depart Wolves at the end of last season following a period of poor form, which was not aided by a devastating injury crisis.
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He was appointed as Mourinho’s replacement following a lengthy and chaotic search for a new boss.
The 47-year-old has used a back four in each of Tottenham’s friendlies so far but that might just be because he is waiting for many senior players to return from their extended breaks.
Spurs started pre-season with a 1-1 draw over Leyton Orient before earning comfortable victories against fellow EFL sides Colchester United and MK Dons, where a 4-3-3 formation has been used in each fixture.
Espirito Santo’s summer is likely to become more complicated next week when star striker Harry Kane returns from his holiday.
Kane is widely expected to reiterate his desire to leave the club to Espirito Santo, chairman Daniel Levy and owner Joe Lewis.
The England captain, who helped the Three Lions reach the Euro 2020 final, has been strongly linked with a £150m transfer to Manchester City.
Kane wants to leave Spurs in pursuit of silverware and recently spoke of wanting to have an “honest” conversation with Levy about his future.
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