THE €100M QUESTION: CAN REAL MADRID ACTUALLY TEMPT SPURS TO SELL CRISTIAN ROMERO?
Real Madrid are reportedly ready to offer €100M for Cristian Romero to solve a defensive crisis that has seen them drop to 9th in the UCL.
Tottenham Hotspur have a real dilemma on their hands, with reports out of Spain claiming Real Madrid are about to slap a wild €100 million offer on the table for Cristian Romero. Sounds dramatic, but let’s not get swept up just yet.
Real Madrid is having a rough time. They’re chasing Barcelona by a single point in LaLiga, and just got hammered 4-2 away to Jose Mourinho’s Benfica—enough to knock them out of the Champions League’s top eight and dump them into the play-offs. That stings. Combine that with letting in 12 goals in their last eight Champions League games and losing Eder Militao for the long haul, and it’s no shock that Florentino Perez, Madrid’s president, is getting twitchy.
Spanish outlet Fichajes says Perez has had enough. Between crashing out of the Copa del Rey to Albacete—a team from the second division, no less—and the ongoing defensive mess, Madrid are desperate. Supposedly, Perez wants to go big and throw €100 million at Spurs for Romero, hoping the sheer size of the offer will force Tottenham’s hand.
Madrid sees Romero as exactly what they’re missing: a defender with some bite and personality. According to these reports, Perez thinks the huge fee will be impossible for Spurs to refuse.
If this goes through, it’d become the third biggest January transfer ever—behind Chelsea’s €121 million for Enzo Fernandez and Barcelona’s monster €135 million move for Philippe Coutinho. It’d also match what Madrid paid Spurs for Gareth Bale in 2013, which is still Tottenham’s record sale.
But here’s the thing—Tottenham aren’t exactly eager to sell. Rumours about Madrid wanting Romero aren’t new. Last April, Romero himself admitted that a move to Spain would tempt him. He even said he’d love to play in La Liga since it’s the only major league he hasn’t tried yet.
But right now, Spurs are stretched at the back. Micky van de Ven, Romero’s regular partner (and a long-term Madrid target himself), is out injured. Selling Romero now would be disastrous for Tottenham. People around the club aren’t ruling out Madrid making a move in the summer, but for this month, there’s no sign Tottenham will budge, no matter how much money is on offer.
Meanwhile, Van de Ven missed the trip to Germany for Spurs’ last Champions League group game against Eintracht Frankfurt—a match Tottenham won 2-0, easing the pressure on boss Thomas Frank and booking a spot in the last 16. There’s hope Van de Ven could feature against Manchester City on Sunday, but Pedro Porro is definitely out for a month with a hamstring injury.
With so many defenders missing, Spurs had to line up with Romero and Kevin Danso in the middle, flanked by Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie in that win over Frankfurt. Still, Frank will take heart from another Champions League clean sheet.
Romero got plenty of praise after that game—not just for his defending, but for setting up Randal Kolo Muani’s goal. On Match of the Day, Stephen Warnock said, “They were clinical, and that’s what you want away from home. Kolo Muani did exactly what you need from your striker in the box. Credit to Romero—he’s a real threat on set pieces. That back-post header was clever. He put it right where his striker needed it. Bit of a scruffy finish, but nobody cares when it ends up in the net.”
ALAN SHEARER NAMES MAN CITY CLEAR FAVORITES FOR THE 2026 PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE CROWN
Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-1. Alan Shearer discusses why the title race is now firmly in City’s hands.
Alan Shearer came away really impressed by how Arsenal played against Manchester City, but he thinks their earlier slip-up against Bournemouth could end up being what costs them the Premier League title.
City closed the gap to just three points behind Arsenal with a 2-1 win in Sunday’s big clash, with Erling Haaland bagging the winner at the Etihad. Kai Havertz managed to pull Arsenal back into the game after a disastrous mistake by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and that was right after Rayan Cherki had given City the lead with a bit of magic.
Havertz had a golden chance to equalise late on after Eberechi Eze hit the post, but he couldn’t finish it. You could see the frustration on the faces of the Arsenal players; they’ll be kicking themselves for missing those chances in the days ahead.
The win puts City in a great position. They have a game in hand, and if they beat struggling Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday, they’ll go top of the table. Arsenal, meanwhile, are back at home on Saturday against Newcastle, and with just one win in their last six games, it’s hard to see that as anything other than a must-win for them.
Shearer didn’t hold back when he talked about Arsenal’s performance. On The Rest Is Football podcast, he said, “Where was this last weekend against Bournemouth?" Where was this fight, this urgency? Because honestly, I think that’s the game that’ll haunt them, not today. They were flat against Bournemouth. Against City, though, they looked sharp. You can’t really complain about how they played this time; they took the game to City, created loads, and really gave it a go. It was a brilliant match.”
Shearer still thinks City are now the clear favourites for the title, but he fully expects more drama before it’s all over. “Arsenal had their moments. They missed some huge chances, Havertz’s header at the end, that one-on-one, but you have to back City now. Look at the past month or so: the teams they’ve beaten, the way they’ve played. But I still don’t believe both City and Arsenal will win all their remaining games. There’s bound to be another twist.”
On a lighter note, Shearer joked that at least Arsenal won’t have it too tough next weekend, coming up against a Newcastle side stuck in a four-game losing streak. “Look, if only football were that simple, everyone just winning every match, it’d be boring. I’ve been in those title races myself; I know how tense it gets. It never goes perfectly for anyone. The one positive for Arsenal is that they’ve got Newcastle next, and they’re in terrible form. That’s something to hold onto.”
When asked if City should be considered the outright favourites now, Shearer didn’t hesitate: “Yeah, definitely. They’ve got a game in hand; they’re on a roll; they’ve got the momentum. They’re favourites now, no doubt about it.”
ROBERTO DE ZERBI ISSUES BOLD CLAIM, BACKING WINLESS SPURS TO WIN REMAINING FIVE GAMES
Tottenham suffer late 2-2 draw against Brighton. Read why Roberto De Zerbi believes they can still avoid relegation.
Tottenham let three crucial points slip away on Saturday, conceding a late equaliser to Brighton. Spurs looked set for a win after Xavi Simons put them 2-1 up in the 77th minute, but a Kevin Danso error handed Georginio Rutter the chance to score five minutes into stoppage time.
That goal stung. Spurs could’ve moved out of the relegation zone, at least for a day or two, since Nottingham Forest and West Ham weren’t playing until later in the weekend.
The draw also means Robert De Zerbi is still waiting for his first win as Spurs boss, though at least he’s finally earned his first point. Right now, Tottenham sits just one point from safety, but if results go the wrong way, they could be four points adrift by the end of the gameweek.
If Spurs want to survive, they have to start winning. Next up is a must-win against the bottom club Wolves. Nothing less will do, especially with tough games against Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea, and Everton closing out the season.
De Zerbi Clearly Rates Simons
Big performances from key players are Spurs’ only way out, and Xavi Simons is right at the heart of that. De Zerbi was impressed with what he saw from the Dutch midfielder against Brighton.
“He played very well. "A great game", De Zerbi told football.london. “I think he can get even better, because a player like this needs to feel confidence from the manager. I’m here to give him all the confidence he needs.
“When I played, I was a number 10 myself, so I understand what he’s thinking. I think I’m lucky to have him, but he’s lucky too, because as a former number 10, I might understand him better than most coaches.”
Simons has six goals and seven assists this season. If he keeps those numbers climbing in the last few matches, Spurs have a real shot at staying up, especially since Kulusevski and Kudus are still out. The good news? James Maddison is fit again after a bad knee injury in preseason, and he’s set to return in the next week or so.
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