Cristian Romero: Inter Milan Targets Spurs Captain

Inter Milan have set their sights on Cristian Romero as they search for a new centre-back, with the Tottenham captain emerging as one of the most ambitious – and complicated – targets on their list.

Sky in Italy report that the Italian champions are exploring a move for the Argentina defender, though any deal would be financially intricate. Romero is under contract at Spurs until 2029, and prising a key starter away from the Premier League is never cheap, particularly when that player wears the armband.

Yet there is a growing expectation that Tottenham would consider letting him go if a suitable offer lands on the table this summer. Inter sense an opening.

Inter’s defensive rebuild

Inter want a central defender to anchor their back line for the coming season and have cast the net towards England. Romero is one of the leading names, but he is not the only one.

John Stones, now a free agent after leaving Manchester City, is also on their radar. The England international has interest from Arsenal and Chelsea, so Inter are working in a crowded field, but his contractual status makes him a very different proposition to Romero, whose long deal gives Spurs enormous leverage.

Romero’s recent months at Tottenham have been turbulent. The 28-year-old missed the end of last season with a knee injury and drew sharp criticism from sections of the fanbase when he appeared set to watch boyhood club Belgrano face River Plate in the Argentina Primera Division Apertura final instead of attending Spurs’ decisive final-day trip to Everton.

He did ultimately turn up for that game, watching on as Tottenham secured their Premier League survival. Across five seasons in north London, Romero has made 124 appearances, scored 12 goals and collected four red cards in the Premier League – a record that underlines both his influence and his edge.

Inter are not limiting their shopping list to the centre of defence. They also want a full-back before the window closes. Djed Spence, Romero’s club-mate at Spurs, has been one of the names under consideration. The early push for Spence has cooled, but he has not disappeared from their thoughts. Monaco’s Vanderson and Feyenoord’s Givairo Read remain in the frame as alternative options.

De Zerbi demands firepower after record spend

While Inter probe Spurs’ defensive core, Roberto De Zerbi is pushing hard at the other end of the pitch. The new Tottenham head coach has been clear: he wants two more attacking players before he is satisfied with his squad.

Spurs have already torn up their own spending history this summer. They have committed £237m on six new signings, headlined by the £100m club-record capture of Sandro Tonali from Newcastle. Mateus Fernandes arrived for £85m, Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m, while Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka joined on free transfers.

De Zerbi is not treating that as a finish line.

“The target now is to complete the attacking positions,” he said. “We want the first target, the first level, because anyway we are already important players, but I think to start the new project we need another couple of important players, for sure.”

He stressed that Spurs’ business is still active, not winding down. “It’s not finished yet, our transfer market window. We have to finish, we have to bring another couple of, maybe more, maybe not less, but a couple of players.”

The message is unmistakable: Tottenham’s rebuild is only half-built.

Juventus circle Vicario as keeper market turns

While De Zerbi looks for goals, one of his current goalkeepers is back under scrutiny in Italy.

Juventus are again considering Guglielmo Vicario as a potential alternative to their top target Emi Martinez, according to Sky in Italy. The Turin club have also started work on a possible deal for Parma’s Zion Suzuki, with a gap in valuation still to be bridged, though not one considered insurmountable at this stage.

Juve intend to revisit their interest in Vicario to see if they can strike a deal on terms that suit them. The Italian keeper is expected to leave Spurs this summer and has not travelled with the squad on their pre-season tour because of what the club describe as a minor injury.

“Vicario is injured, not a big injury, but he needs to stay one week in London,” De Zerbi explained at his press conference.

For Tottenham, it is another key position in flux. For Juventus, it is a chance to move for a Premier League-tested goalkeeper if talks over Martinez or Suzuki stall.

Bergvall at a crossroads

Lucas Bergvall’s future is another live issue on De Zerbi’s desk. The Sweden midfielder is understood to be determined to move on this summer. Nottingham Forest remain in the conversation, while Newcastle have also held talks with Spurs over the numbers involved.

Inside Tottenham, there has been no attempt so far to persuade Bergvall to change his mind, even as club sources insist they do not want to sell. De Zerbi, though, has been blunt about his stance: he only wants players who are fully committed to being at Spurs.

Asked about the speculation and whether Bergvall’s presence in the pre-season squad hinted at a decision, De Zerbi said: “I have not spoken with Lucas yet. I will in the next days and we will make the best decision for the club, for Lucas, for me, for every one of us. Without problems, Lucas is a big, big talent.

“There will be a big competition to play because at the end, I think we will be two players for each position. If he wants to stay, I will be happy. Otherwise, we have to find a new solution with Johan Lange, with Vinai. It’s not my business after the decision to leave.”

The line is clear: stay and fight, or go with the club’s blessing – but do not linger in between.

Kudus close, Kulusevski caution

There is better news on the injury front. Mohammed Kudus is, in De Zerbi’s words, “very close” to a return after being out with a muscle problem since early January.

“Kudus is very close,” he said. “I think when we come back to London he will be available to start working with us. It’s a great thing for us. Kudus is another important player.”

De Zerbi also reiterated Vicario’s situation and offered a careful note on Dejan Kulusevski.

“Vicario is injured, not a big injury, but he needs to stay one week in London,” he said. “Kulusevski, we have to see in the next couple of weeks. He’s another important player. After one season, one complete season, without a game, we have to analyse better and better, don’t take risks, first of all for him and then for us.”

So Spurs move through pre-season with a captain courted by Inter, a goalkeeper tracked by Juventus, a young midfielder eyeing the exit and a manager demanding elite attackers to crown a record spend.

The squad is changing fast. The only certainty is that Tottenham’s summer still has several major decisions left to make.