Manchester United are interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero in the summer if one big thing happens.
Man United are still in a good position to qualify for next season’s Champions League despite a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Friday night, as both Liverpool and Chelsea lost at the weekend.
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The Red Devils have consolidated third place in recent weeks, sitting seven points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea with seven Premier League games left to play, and a top-five finish is expected to secure a place in the top European Cup next season.
A return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2023/24 season will undoubtedly boost United’s transfer budget in the summer, and the club are already aiming to sign two top midfielders.
They could also target other positions in addition to midfield, as Spurs defender Romero has emerged as a new target.
United may be in the process of agreeing a new contract for Harry Maguire so that he stays at Old Trafford beyond this season, but according to Marca, they also have Spurs star Romero on their radar.
While he may not be a number one target for the Red Devils – at least positionally – United see a potential transfer opportunity should Tottenham fall down and be relegated to the Championship in the coming weeks.
Sunday’s loss to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest means Spurs are just one point and one place above the lower end of the Premier League table, and they are still yet to win a league game in 2026.
Should the worst happen, Marca reports that the battle for Romero will be completely open, presumably because clubs will think that an exit is guaranteed and that a transfer fee at a reduced price is possible for a player who is currently valued at €70 million.
La Liga giants Real Madrid are reportedly interested in his services, despite the fact that the player has constantly hinted at arch-rivals Atletico Madrid, who reportedly have a “special clause” of €60 million in the player’s contract should they go for him.
The 27-year-old’s performances for Argentina at this summer’s World Cup could also affect his value, if he gets an outstanding championship for the reigning world champions.
While there is no question about Romero’s quality when he is in top form, with teammate Micky van de Ven referring to him as “world class”, the Argentine has his weaknesses.
The 27-year-old’s discipline has been a major issue for Spurs, as the hot-tempered captain has been sent off six times since joining the club in 2021, including twice this season.
His second sending off for Tottenham in 2025/26 led to a four-match ban, which meant that he missed crucial games in the fight against relegation, when they needed him most on the pitch.
What’s more, there have been constant rumours that he wants to leave the north London club, with Spurs legend Chris Waddle recently claiming that he “never really wanted” to be at Tottenham in the first place.
How would Romero fit into Carrick’s system?
With Michael Carrick still pushing strongly forward as a real candidate for the United job on a permanent basis, we’ve supplemented our own scouting report with AI-assisted analysis to dive deeper into how he would fit into Carrick’s system at Old Trafford.
This was the conclusion:
“Cristian Romero would probably fit well into a Michael Carrick system at Manchester United that values controlled build-up with defensive aggressiveness. Carrick prefers calmness in ball possession and structured pressing; Romero’s forward-leaning defensive play, anticipation and progressive passing are a good fit, although his willingness to take risks can disrupt the positional discipline.
He would have added intensity and strength in duels to United’s back line, helping to compress space higher up the pitch. However, he would need to curb his fierce tackles and improve his positional restraint to fit in with Carrick’s calmer, possession-oriented defensive form, while maintaining his natural tenacity.”
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