Real Madrid look set to pounce on Cristian Romero’s growing frustration at Tottenham, with reports claiming they’re lining up a huge offer for the Argentine defender.

Romero has been one of the few bright spots at Spurs since he arrived from Atalanta in August 2021. But honestly, he’s had enough. The club’s stuck in a rut, barely making any progress in the Premier League, and he’s losing patience fast.

Things haven’t improved. After a miserable 17th-place finish last season, Tottenham brought in Thomas Frank to replace Ange Postecoglou. Halfway through this campaign, though, they’re still drifting—just 14th after 21 games and already out of the FA Cup, dumped out by Aston Villa.

On paper, this squad should be fighting for a Champions League spot. In reality, they’re a mess. There’s no clear style, no spark, nothing to get excited about. Fans are already sick of Frank, and a few big names in the dressing room—including Romero—are looking for the exit.

Romero hasn’t exactly kept his feelings to himself. After a 3-2 loss to Bournemouth, a team that hadn’t won in 11 games, he lashed out at the club’s owners on Instagram. He basically called them out for hiding when things go wrong, only popping up to bask in the glory when results go their way.

Put bluntly, Spurs are falling apart. Frank’s job looks shaky, and the club’s supposed leaders aren’t stepping up. No wonder Romero is fed up.

Now, Real Madrid is watching closely. Spanish outlet Fichajes says they’re ready to break the bank—up to €80 million—for the Spurs captain. The reason? Romero’s told the club he wants out unless there’s serious investment in world-class talent this summer. He’s happy with Frank and the coaching staff, but he wants a club with ambition, and right now, he doesn’t see it at Tottenham.

If Spurs don’t make big moves in the transfer window and show they actually want to win the league, Romero plans to hand in a formal transfer request before June. He thinks he deserves a shot at a European giant.

Madrid are all-in. Xabi Alonso, who’s taking charge next season, has signed off on the move. He sees Romero as the perfect modern centre-back for his system. And with both Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba set to leave at the end of the season, Madrid need to reinforce their defence.

They’ve looked at other options—Micky van de Ven, Romero’s partner at Spurs, was on their list, and they were also keen on Arsenal’s William Saliba before he signed a new deal. Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi are both on Madrid’s radar, too, but Romero seems to be the top target.

Guehi’s expected to leave Palace in 2026—maybe even sooner if someone coughs up around £40m. Upamecano, meanwhile, looks set to commit his future to Bayern. So, as things stand, all eyes are on Romero and whether Spurs can convince him to stay. If not, Real Madrid are ready to swoop.

Micky van de Ven didn’t hold back after Tottenham crashed out of the FA Cup against Aston Villa. He said Spurs were “nowhere near” good enough, especially in the first half, and even questioned the team’s mentality during the game.

It was another rough night in a season that keeps getting worse for Spurs under Thomas Frank. Villa’s Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers both scored before halftime, and while Wilson Odobert pulled one back for Tottenham after the break, it didn’t really matter. Villa’s 2-1 win sent Spurs out of the cup.

Fans had hoped the FA Cup would be their shot at some much-needed silverware, especially after the team’s early exit from the League Cup. Now, Tottenham are left with just the Premier League—where they’re sitting in 14th—and the Champions League, although they haven’t even locked in a spot in the round of 16 yet.

After the match, Van de Ven, who wore the captain’s armband, sounded frustrated. “Gutted obviously that we’re out of the cup,” he said. “First half, nowhere near our level, nowhere near where we need to be. The second half was way better. I think we showed some mentality then, but if we’d started like that, the whole game would have been different.”

Frank didn’t have much to celebrate, either. Villa supporters taunted him about being an Arsenal fan—thanks to his coffee cup slip-up earlier in the week—and reminded him of his promise to have Spurs competing in all four competitions. “Of course, that’s disappointing,” Frank admitted, knowing the pressure is on. “Everyone knows the only way to keep people happy is to perform consistently and win enough games. That’s it.”

He pointed to the second half, saying, “You could see the energy, how the players and the fans fed off each other. It was fantastic to be in the middle of it. But we couldn’t find that comeback, which sometimes sparks a run. That’s what we’re working so hard for.”

Now, Spurs have a week to get ready for their next league game against West Ham, followed by a Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund just a few days later.

Frank should have Dominic Solanke available after his return against Villa—the striker’s first appearance since August—but there’s a big question mark over Richarlison. The Brazilian went off with a hamstring injury, and now Frank has to wait and see how bad it is.

“I think we’ve done a lot to get Richarlison back to this point, and so has he,” Frank said. “But it’s not just us. Every club is dealing with injuries across the Premier League.”

He didn’t shy away from criticising the schedule, either. “Honestly, it’s something football authorities need to look into. We played five games in 13 days, four in 10—one of the few clubs to do that, and it’s our third time this season. Two days between matches is brutal. We’re doing everything we can to compete, but the schedule is tough.”