Why Inter lead Barcelona in race for Tottenham and Argentina defender Romero | OneFootball

Inter remain interested in a potential deal for World Cup finalist Cristian Romero, and reports in Argentina claim that the Nerazzurri are at an advantage compared to Barcelona in the race for the Tottenham Hotspur centre-back.

Report: Inter at an advantage compared to Barcelona in Romero race

The Nerazzurri are hoping to strengthen their back line this summer and are reportedly seeking the signing of a new centre-back as well as a new right wing-back to replace Denzel Dumfries, whose move to Real Madrid was confirmed earlier this month.

According to reports from Calciomercato.com, Inter had originally contacted Tottenham to discuss a potential deal for full-back Djed Spence, but Romero also came up in discussions between the two clubs.

The Argentine centre-back is widely expected to leave Tottenham during the summer transfer window, and Inter and Barcelona are said to be among the most interested clubs.

According to Argentine outlet TycSports, Inter currently have the advantage over Barcelona in the Romero race and they are also expected to resume talks with the player’s agents in the coming hours.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 24: Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur applauds the fans following the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 24, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Inter’s ‘advantage’ is largely due to the fact that Barcelona are left needing to sell players before bringing in any new star arrivals. Additionally, Hansi Flick is said to be a big fan of Aymeric Laporte, who won the World Cup playing alongside Barca youngster Pau Cubarsi at the heart of the Spain defence and is expected to come at a cheaper cost than Romero.

Cristian Chivu’s side, meanwhile, have had a relatively quiet start to the summer transfer window: Aleksandar Stankovic and Ivan Provedel the club’s only additions so far this window.

The Nerazzurri had been willing to invest heavily on the signing of Marco Palestra before his move to Chelsea went through and are still considering the sales of a handful of other first-team players, which does leave room in the budget for new defensive acquisitions.

Calciomercato reports that Tottenham are seeking a fee in the region of €45m-€50m to sell Romero this summer, which has come down from the reported €60m that they would have requested just a few weeks ago.

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 07: Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur controls the ball during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Inter, meanwhile, are said to be keen on the idea of a loan with an obligation to buy, like they did with Manuel Akanji and Manchester City last summer, but with a lower buy-out fee at around €35m-€40m.

Romero is said to earn around €8m per season in net wages with bonuses included.