There is a growing sense around north London that the summer window could bring an end to a relationship which once promised so much. Tottenham Hotspu...
There is a growing sense around north London that the summer window could bring an end to a relationship which once promised so much. Tottenham Hotspur, according to information gathered by GoalZaza, are now willing to listen to offers for their captain Cristian Romero. The decision, if it materialises, would mark a stunning fall from grace for a player who arrived amid such fanfare and was handed the armband ahead of this campaign.It has been a nightmare season for the Argentine international. What was meant to be the cornerstone of Ange Postecoglou's high line has instead become a symbol of the team's fragility. Romero's trademark aggression in the challenge has too often tipped over into recklessness, leaving Spurs exposed in transitional moments. His decision making, particularly when stepping out of the defensive line, has been questionable. When you combine that with a lack of consistent cover from midfield, you get a cocktail of errors that has cost Tottenham dearly in the league table.The man who lifted the World Cup with such authority in Qatar has looked a shadow of that version of himself. At his best, Romero offers you the kind of snarling, front foot defending that strikes fear into centre forwards. At his worst, he gets caught ball watching, leaves his post, and forces his goalkeeper into impossible situations. And the statistics back up the eye test: Tottenham have one of the worst defensive records in the top half of the Premier League, and much of that stems from the captain's lack of composure in big moments.Atlético Madrid, a club that knows a thing or two about cultivating combative centre halves, are said to be the most interested party. Diego Simeone loves a defender who plays on the edge, and Romero certainly fits that mould. But would a return to La Liga be the reset his career needs Or would it simply be an admission from Spurs that they got their captaincy choice wrong There is a lingering feeling that the club's hierarchy, having backed the manager with significant investment, are now looking to move on the players who have let him down most emphatically.Letting your captain leave after one season with the armband is not a decision any club takes lightly. It signals a clear the decks mentality inside the boardroom. But if Tottenham are serious about building a team that can compete for Champions League places, they cannot afford to carry passengers regardless of reputation. Romero may still have a fine career ahead of him, perhaps even with Simeone in Madrid. But for Spurs, the nightmare of this campaign has made the choice stark: rebuild without him.
