Cristian Romero’s last match for Tottenham Hotspur ended in tears (Image: Getty)
Like many Tottenham Hotspur players, Cristian Romero has endured a difficult season. The Argentina international and his colleagues suffered a disastrous season, finding themselves embroiled in a relegation battle with just over a month left in the season. The North London outfit currently sit 18th in the Premier League and need to pick up points quickly to maintain their top spot.
Still, they will be without their star centre-back after Romero was ruled out for the season with a knee injury sustained in last week’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland. The last glimpse of Romero for Spurs supporters could be his tearful departure down the tunnel from the Stadium of Light amid speculation he could move to Spain. Here, we explore what Romero’s next career step involves, a proposed termination clause in his contract, consideration of public comments from his next of kin, and more.
Following Spurs’ success in the Europa League last season, whispers that Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid were tracking Romero’s situation began to gain momentum. The South American star, who has previously only featured for his native Argentina, Italy and England, admitted during his recent international break that he “loves” playing in La Liga.
Romero told TyC Sports: “The only league I can play in is La Liga. To be honest, I would love to play there, because that’s the league I’m missing.” His comments, coupled with his admission that he is not happy with Spurs, will no doubt have set off alarm bells within the North London club’s hierarchy.
Afterwards, the defender told Ole: “To be honest, I’m not having the best time there. But above all I have to correct myself and I have to focus on the club now. I have to try to change Tottenham’s mindset and get them out of the bad situation they’re in, and I have to give my best in every training session, every game and try to move forward, as I always do.”
Cristian Romero will not play for Tottenham this season (Image: Getty)
The truth about termination clauses
The Argentine spent a season-long loan spell before completing a permanent move to the club in 2022, costing Spurs £40m. His future is said to be in jeopardy with Spurs potentially relegated to the Championship, with some pointing to the defender as the player likely to leave north London if they are knocked out of the Premier League.
Adding fuel to the fire, Romero’s father Victor addressed his son’s contract status, revealing that Romero’s contract includes a termination clause. In an interview with Cadena 3, Victor said: “He has two years left on his contract with Tottenham and he has a very high termination clause.
“English clubs are not going to let him go for free. The amount is between $50m and $70m (£37.8m to £53m). In my opinion, they would want to get back what they invested.” However, according to football.london, Romero’s contract does not include a release clause that would allow him to join a La Liga club.
Romero’s surprising behavior
Throughout Spurs’ disastrous campaign, Romero has voiced his opinion on numerous occasions this season, publicly criticizing the club’s board of directors’ decisions that left the club open to relegation. He recently slammed the club’s failure to strengthen a squad hit by injuries during the January transfer window, calling it a “disgrace”.
The 28-year-old also attacked executives’ reluctance to speak out during difficult times, claiming they “only show up when things are going well and tell a few lies”. Romero’s public defiance of the club’s leadership surprised his father, who admitted it was uncharacteristic of his son to be so blunt.
Victor further said: “Cuti is not one to speak out. That’s why I’m surprised. I don’t know anything, but in football anything can happen. Today you may be thinking about being close to your family, but tomorrow everything changes when you put the team together and try to win. I don’t want to lie.”
