After a few weeks of relative silence, Tottenham Hotspur made a bold move in the transfer market this week and announced their first permanent signing of the window: 18-year-old wonderkid Archie Gray.
The former Leeds United prospect has joined the Lilywhites with plenty of hype and excitement, but based on recent reports, Daniel Levy and Co are still busy looking for more quality additions to bolster Ange Postecoglou's squad.
One of the names that has been touted for a move to N17 for quite some time is Crystal Palace star and England international Marc Guehi.
While he'd be a brilliant player to add to the squad, the club already have an incredible star in that position, and he's worth even more.
Cristian Romero's Spurs career
The player in question is Argentine international Cristian Romero.
Spurs paid Italian side Atalanta around £42m for the then Serie A Defender of the Season in the summer of 2021, and to say he's been a success in North London since would be an understatement.
The World Cup winner has made 98 appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring six goals, providing one assist, and playing under four different permanent managers.
He has undoubtedly been rash at points during his time in England, picking up 28 yellow cards, three second yellows and one red card, but over the last year or so, he has significantly improved and picked up just seven yellows and one red in 34 games.
The defensive "monster", as dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, has also become one of the key leadership figures within the team, and was named co-vice-captain alongside James Maddison before the start of last season.
He has also won plaudits from Lionel Messi, who described him as the "best defender in the world" last year, and we reckon the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner probably knows a thing or two about football.
Unsurprisingly, after years of impressive performances and international success, his valuation has increased and is higher than his potential new teammate's, Guehi.
Cristian Romero's valuation in 2024
According to a report from the Sun earlier this week, Spurs will have to get ahead of several other interested parties, such as Arsenal, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus, if they want to bring Guehi to N17 this summer.
However, the crucial part is that they'll have to spend around £50m to secure his services, as Palace wants a fee similar to the one they will receive for Michael Olise.
If the North Londoners can get ahead of the pack, it would represent a significant investment in the team, but the potential price tag is still less than Romero's valuation.
According to the CIES Football Observatory, the 26-year-old is worth up to €67m, which converts to a cool £57m, which is about £7m more than the Eagles' star centre-back could cost the club.
This high valuation is likely due to a combination of factors, such as his international success, strong form last season, or the fact that he's still relatively young for a top-level centre-back.
Ultimately, signing Guehi would undoubtedly improve Postecoglou's squad this summer, but the Australian is already lucky to have a player as talented and valuable as Romero in his team.