"DISGRACEFUL": WHY CRISTIAN ROMERO IS FURIOUS WITH TOTTENHAM’S SILENT JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW
Cristian Romero hasn't held back, calling Spurs' January business "disgraceful." Discover the truth behind the £100m unspent fund.
The Spurs captain isn’t hiding his frustration with how the club handled the January transfer window—and honestly, he has every right to be upset.
When January rolled around, everyone expected Tottenham to be busy. They had a long list of problems to fix, an injury crisis, and enough financial wiggle room to act. Instead, things fizzled out early. The phones went quiet, and nothing much happened.
Sure, Conor Gallagher came in, and Brennan Johnson left, both for around £35 million. They also signed Souza, a young wing-back, for £13 million. Maybe he’ll turn out to be a good addition in the future, but that was pretty much it. The squad didn’t get the overhaul it needed—not even close. And Cristian Romero, the Spurs centre-back, seemed to feel pretty strongly about it.
He went on Instagram and called it “disgraceful” that Spurs went into their game against Manchester City with “only 11 players”. That’s obviously an exaggeration, but you get his point.
Romero’s full post gave his teammates credit for clawing back from 2-0 down to draw at home, but he also didn’t hold back about the club’s lack of transfer business as the window closed. He wrote, “Great effort from all my teammates yesterday; they were all incredible. I wanted to be available to help them even though I wasn’t feeling well, especially as we had only 11 players available—unbelievable but true and disgraceful.”
The truth? Spurs actually had 15 first-team players available, including Romero himself, though maybe he wasn’t counting himself because he’d just been ill. He also left out 19-year-old Souza, who’s still untested at this level. So, yeah, Romero exaggerated a little. But the point stands.
Spurs had both the money and the time to strengthen the squad. They really only addressed the midfield, and while Gallagher is a solid Premier League player, it’s hard to say he alone is going to fix things.
Even if injuries weren’t such a disaster, they still needed new faces. But the injuries have been brutal—at least a dozen players out or doubtful for the next game, most of them key starters, and many gone for weeks or months. Given all that, not adding to the squad feels almost irresponsible.
Thomas Frank might not love Romero airing his feelings in public again—he’s already had to nudge the Argentine to keep things in-house after that Bournemouth loss. But whether Romero should speak up or not, he’s absolutely justified in being frustrated.
This team is stretched thin, limping through games, and clearly needs new energy. Most pundits thought the Spurs would be all over the market this window. The fact that they weren’t just makes it look like the people in charge couldn’t commit to a plan, even when it was badly needed.
So why didn’t the Spurs make any real moves? Plenty of clubs avoid January deals because prices are high and good players are tough to pry away mid-season. But the Spurs had the need and the money. The board might try to spin it as avoiding panic buys, but with their form and the injury list, a bit of panic would’ve been understandable. The Lewis family even put £100 million into the club last October, yet Spurs only spent £13 million this winter.
Maybe the looming departure of sporting director Fabio Paratici caused some chaos behind the scenes, but he was always leaving after the window closed, and the scouting should’ve already been done. This is a club that had everything lined up to make big moves.
Their inaction doesn’t point to satisfaction with the squad. Plenty of players aren’t pulling their weight or are always injured. So if you’re looking for a reason, the only thing that really makes sense is uncertainty about the manager’s future. Otherwise, it’s hard to justify standing still when the team is crying out for help.
You can’t really chalk up their inaction to being happy with the squad—far from it. Plenty of players aren’t pulling their weightwhen they’re even fit enough to play. So, the only real explanation is that nobody’s sure what’ll happen with the manager.
Honestly, it does make some sense not to spend big on guys who fit Frank’s style if there’s a good chance he gets the boot, and then someone else comes in with different ideas. But if that’s how Spurs played this window, they boxed themselves in. Indecision’s left them stuck.
It’s obvious sitting out the transfer market isn’t the answer. The club needed to pick a lane—either back Frank, get him the players he wants, and hope he turns things around, or let him go and start building for the next coach.
Instead, they’ve landed in the worst spot possible. Frank’s left to struggle on with a squad ravaged by injuries—sometimes literally, with all these hamstrings going. Even if he’s the right guy, he needs a miracle to fix things with half a team. And if he’s not the answer, why is he still there?
That’s why Spthe urs head into the second half of the season with not much to hope for. They needed to act, to do something, but instead they’ve just drifted along, half-asleep.
Maybe it won’t be a total disaster. Even with all that’s gone wrong, they’re probably not getting relegated. Maybe the money they didn’t spend now will be used better in the summer. But looking at this patched-up squad and the tough months ahead, you really can’t blame Romero for calling the whole thing “disgraceful”. It’s hard to argue with him.
LIVERPOOL TARGET EMILIANO MARTINEZ AS JUVENTUS CLOSE IN ON LEGEND ALISSON BECKER
Discover why FSG are targeting Emi Martinez to replace Alisson, as Villa face pressure to sell their highest-earning players.
There’s growing talk about Liverpool potentially moving for Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez as they weigh up options if Alisson Becker leaves for Juventus this summer, according to TEAMtalk.
Alisson has been a rock for Liverpool since they paid a hefty fee to sign him from Roma in 2018. Over eight seasons, he’s helped secure six major trophies, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League, earning a reputation as one of the club’s best-ever goalkeepers.
But with his contract expiring in just over a year, it seems likely he might leave for a new challenge abroad. Sources suggest Juventus are confident about signing him this summer and has also been targeting other Premier League players.
This potential departure has pushed Liverpool’s owners, FSG, to explore the goalkeeper market carefully and consider strong replacements for such a key position.
Sources confirm that Martinez is once again drawing significant transfer interest ahead of the window. Aston Villa, meanwhile, are under pressure to balance their books and have Martinez, one of their highest earners with a contract until 2029, firmly on their minds.
Villa has begun looking into possible replacements too, making enquiries about several goalkeepers, including Manchester City’s James Trafford.
Martinez’s situation is catching attention across Europe, and Liverpool is among the clubs aware he could be available.
Within Liverpool’s recruitment team, Martinez is highly regarded and seen as a serious candidate should Alisson depart. Juventus has offered Alisson an attractive long-term contract, something Liverpool could match, but apparently are hesitant to do so at this point.
Discussions between Alisson and Juventus have reportedly progressed well, with the player keen to test himself in Serie A. This uncertainty has made Liverpool carefully consider their next steps in goal.
While youngster Giorgi Mamardashvili is promising, there’s still some doubt about whether he’s ready to immediately take on the number one role at a club chasing top honours every season.
That has led Liverpool to broaden its search and look at more experienced options. Martinez stands out for his leadership, mentality, and top-level experience, qualities Liverpool values highly, given his recent performances for both Villa and Argentina.
His reputation as a commanding figure and elite shot-stopper also makes him attractive to those handling Liverpool’s recruitment.
Aston Villa aren’t pushing Martinez out aggressively, but they acknowledge a significant offer could force serious talks this summer. With financial realities to face, tough decisions might be on the horizon for the Midlands club.
Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, has hinted at a possible “changing of the guard” regarding Alisson this summer, noting that all transfers are carefully considered with the club’s best interests in mind.
He mentioned experience is a factor in keeping players like Alisson, but ultimately it will be the club’s decision, especially with just one year left on the current deal.
While StadiumNest sources say the Juventus move is gaining serious momentum, some journalists believe selling Alisson could turn out to be a major mistake for Liverpool.
At the same time, there’s a growing unease within Liverpool about whether letting Caoimhin Kelleher go last summer was a misstep, which now adds to their uncertainty over goalkeeping options going forward.
ALAN SHEARER SLAMS VAR INCONSISTENCY AFTER ARSENAL SCRAPE PAST WEST HAM IN LONDON
Discover why Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker are questioning VAR consistency following Callum Wilson’s disallowed goal in London.
Alan Shearer didn’t hold back after Arsenal’s tense 1-0 win over West Ham, blasting what he sees as the Premier League’s inconsistent officiating.
West Ham, desperate for points at the bottom of the table, thought they’d snatched a late equaliser when Callum Wilson scored in stoppage time. But VAR caught a foul; Pablo was judged to have collided with Arsenal’s keeper David Raya, and the goal got chalked off. The review dragged on, too, with VAR official Darren England studying the replays for more than four minutes before telling referee Chris Kavanagh to check the monitor himself.
Shearer, chatting with Gary Lineker and Micah Richards on The Rest is Football podcast, admitted the officials probably got it right in the end. Still, he said, VAR hasn’t fixed the bigger problem: referees can’t seem to make consistent calls.
“Some people think that’s a foul; some don’t,” Shearer said. “But where’s the consistency? Every week we’re seeing almost identical incidents.”
He pointed to another recent VAR call last week at Everton; Bernardo Silva drew a holding foul, but Merlin Rohl barely got a second look from the officials. “Where was VAR then?” Shearer asked.
The frustration goes beyond just the players and coaches. “Fans will show you screenshots of similar moments, and sometimes it’s a foul; sometimes it’s nothing. That’s why people are upset.”
West Ham walk away empty-handed, missing out on what could’ve been a crucial point in their relegation battle. Arsenal, meanwhile, hang on at the top, still five clear of Manchester City.
Gary Lineker added his two cents: “Probably a foul, but this isn’t how it’s supposed to work. If I were a West Ham or Man City fan, I’d be angry too. There were all kinds of grappling at that corner, Arsenal players grabbing West Ham attackers everywhere. Sure, keepers get special protection, and maybe it was a foul. But what about everything else going on in the box?”
Wayne Rooney, though, gave the officials some rare credit on his own show. “Clear foul in my book. You can see the arm hit Raya’s face, and he can’t reach the ball. VAR actually did its job in a big moment.”
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