Cristian Romero‘s career at Tottenham appears to be approaching its final chapter after another summer dominated by transfer speculation.
The Argentina international has been one of Spurs’ standout performers since arriving from Atalanta in 2021, establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s most commanding centre-backs.
He was also handed the captaincy before last season, but Tottenham’s difficult campaign and Roberto De Zerbi‘s defensive overhaul have fuelled growing expectations that Romero will move on before the transfer window closes.
That possibility has gathered momentum throughout the summer.
Barcelona have regularly been credited with admiring the 28-year-old, but Inter Milan have emerged as the club making the strongest push to complete a deal.
The Nerazzurri are searching for another experienced defender following changes to their back line, and Romero has quickly become one of their leading priorities after his previous success in Serie A with Genoa and Atalanta.
Inter’s interest has not developed overnight.
Italian reports throughout July claimed the club had opened discussions with Romero’s representatives, while sporting director Piero Ausilio later confirmed publicly that talks had also taken place with Tottenham.
Romero’s departure would represent another major change during De Zerbi’s blockbuster first transfer window.
The Italian has already overseen a significant rebuild after Spurs avoided relegation last season, bringing in Sandro Tonali, Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi as he reshapes the squad.
While Romero remains one of the club’s highest-profile players, Tottenham have increasingly looked prepared to sanction exits if they believe the timing and financial package are right.
Although replacing Romero’s quality and leadership would be difficult, Spurs have clearly been planning for the possibility that their captain could seek a fresh challenge.
For Inter, meanwhile, the attraction is clear.
Romero already understands Italian football, has won the World Cup with Argentina and remains at the peak of his career.
His front-foot defending, aerial dominance and ability to carry possession out from the back make him an ideal fit for a side looking to compete at the highest level.
Reports also suggest that their signing of former Man City defender John Stones is viewed as a separate topic to Romero.
With negotiations continuing behind the scenes, attention has now turned towards whether the final details can be completed.
Inter Milan ‘significantly closer’ to signing Cristian Romero after development
According to Italian journalist Alfredo Pedullà, Inter are ‘significantly closer’ to signing Romero after the latest round of discussions ‘in the last few hours’.
Pedullà reports that the Serie A club have moved much closer to reaching an agreement over Romero’s salary and the commission package.
He also claims Tottenham and Inter already have an understanding in place regarding the transfer itself, leaving the remaining work focused on creating room within Inter’s squad so they can complete the move without losing momentum to rival clubs.
Should the deal be completed, Tottenham would lose one of the finest defenders to play for the club in recent years.
However, it would also mark another significant step in De Zerbi’s rebuild, providing further funds to continue reshaping the squad after one of the most turbulent seasons in the club’s recent history.
For Romero, a return to Serie A would offer the opportunity to compete immediately for major trophies while rejoining a league where he first established himself as one of Europe’s elite central defenders.
