Barcelona like wantaway Tottenham defender with Inter Milan also in the mix – Romano | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have registered an interest in Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero, setting up a potential heavyweight summer battle for the Argentine international.

According to an exclusive update from transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, Italian giants Inter Milan have already initiated the first formal move by holding preliminary exploratory talks with Spurs to gauge the player’s market availability.

High-cost defensive target

While Barcelona’s sporting department heavily admires Romero’s aggressive, front-footed defensive profile, any potential operation to lure the 28-year-old away from North London will command an astronomical financial package.

The Lilywhites have been free-spending this summer and will need to raise funds from sales in order to balance their books, opening the doors for Romero’s departure.

Romero set to leave Tottenham. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)

The Argentine international is keen on an exit and Tottenham are open to his sale, but they are likely to command a significant fee for their club captain.

Inter Milan make the first move

As per Romano, Inter Milan and Tottenham have already spoken about the possibility of a move for Romero during their discussions over a transfer involving Djed Spence this summer.

The Nerazzurri are actively scouring the market for an elite, physical centre-back to reinforce their backline amid question marks over the future of Alessandro Bastoni, a target for Barcelona not very long ago.

While Inter’s initial dialogues were seemingly intended to assess the financial feasibility of a deal, the scale of the required investment means the Italian side will likely need to sanction a major star departure before submitting an official, concrete bid.

Barcelona’s strategic stance

Barcelona, for their part, like Romero and are expected to be closely monitoring these developments from the wings as they look to add elite steel to their backline under Hansi Flick.

Barcelona like Romero. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

As things stand, the absolute priority is to sign a new centre-forward to replace Robert Lewandowski, with Julian Alvarez emerging as the leading target.

As for a new centre-back, the Blaugrana do not see it as a priority, but a potential departure of Ronald Araujo, who is no longer a regular starter, could lead the club to explore options in the market.

Romero, for his part, is keen on a move to Spain, with Atletico Madrid also a possible destination for the Argentine alongside Barcelona.

It now remains to be seen if the Blaugrana’s admiration for the centre-back turns into an approach or an offer.