What Tottenham really expect for Romero, Van de Ven and Vuskovic as four defensive targets shortlisted | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur sources are adamant there is no looming defensive crisis, despite growing noise around the futures of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Luka Vuskovic, TEAMtalk has been informed.

The club accepts that speculation is not going away, but insist the situation looks far more stable from the inside than it does from the outside.

Romero’s position is described as non‑negotiable. He signed a major long‑term deal last summer, and while his recent public frustration over squad depth irritated senior figures, Spurs are said to be completely unmoved by the idea that he could force an exit.

Those close to the situation stress that the scale of the club’s commitment to him means he “will not” be allowed to engineer a departure.

Van de Ven is viewed with similar confidence. My colleague Dean Jones has named him as an option for Liverpool, but Tottenham point to the more than three years left on his contract and acknowledge his rapid rise into one of Europe’s most impressive defenders.

His progress has been so significant that Spurs are prepared to elevate him to the same wage bracket as Romero and Conor Gallagher. The hope is that fresh terms can be agreed before the summer, though the final decision naturally rests with the player.

Vuskovic is arguably the most delicate case. The Croatian teenager has excelled on loan at Hamburg, and Bayern Munich are pushing hard to tempt him to the Allianz Arena. He is understood to be weighing up his options and is fully aware of Bayern’s pull.

Even so, Tottenham insist the final call will be theirs, not his, and maintain that – right now – they expect all three centre‑halves to begin next season in north London. Whether that stance survives the summer remains to be seen.

Long‑term planning continues regardless. Spurs are already working on 2026 recruitment and have eyes on the likes of Murillo (Nottingham Forest), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Joel Ordonez (Club Brugge) and Charlie Cresswell (Toulouse) to name a few of the players they have been looking at.

The club is adamant this is not contingency planning for potential departures, but part of an existing strategy to add another centre‑back in that window.

Tottenham transfer news: Moore, Veliz, Robertson…

Meanwhile, my colleague Fraser Fletcher has revealed that Rangers are keen to retain the services of Tottenham winger Mikey Moore on loan for a second season.