With just over four months to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, many players are finalizing their futures with the tournament in mind. Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero is no exception, and according to reports, he has decided what to do with his career after representing Argentina in North America this summer.
“Cristian Cuti Romero has interest from Spain’s La Liga and another league,” Argentine journalist Gaston Edul said this week via his official X account. “He already had interest in the previous transfer window and was very close to a formal offer.”
The 27-year-old center-back is currently the leader of the Spurs on the field, having been established as the team captain following Son Heung-min’s departure to Los Angeles FC last season. However, his days at the London side appear to be numbered. “He is going to leave Tottenham in the next June transfer window,” the report adds.
Romero joined Tottenham in 2021 after standing out in Serie A and quickly earned a spot in the starting lineup thanks to his aggressive playing style. That earned him the fans’ affection and a contract extension, which runs through June 30, 2029.
Romero was World Cup champion with Argentina in 2022.
However, the club’s limited competitiveness in recent years—currently sitting 14th in the Premier League and narrowly avoiding relegation last season—combined with tensions with executives, has reportedly contributed to Romero’s desire to move in the near future.
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Romero’s main focus is now the World Cup
As happens every four years, the attention of most elite players is currently focused on arriving at the World Cup in peak form. For Cuti Romero, that also means a special challenge: trying to repeat Argentina’s success from Qatar 2022.
Lionel Scaloni’s team has remained competitive in recent years, winning the 2024 Copa America, and aims to continue its dominance in world soccer this summer. Even with uncertainty surrounding Lionel Messi’s participation, Argentina retain the core of the team that won the title just over three years ago, with Romero as a key player.
Tottenham have a potential replacement for Romero
While losing Cristian Romero would be a major blow, Tottenham appear to have a Plan B. They are counting on the potential return of Luka Vuskovic, the 18-year-old Croatian center-back who joined the club last summer and, after featuring in the first three games of the season, requested a loan move to another team for more playing time.
Since August, Vuskovic has been playing with Hamburger SV in Germany, where his performances have exceeded expectations. The young defender has played 19 matches and scored four goals this season across the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal. When his loan at Hamburger ends, he is expected to return to England and become a new defensive option for coach Thomas Frank.
