It's no secret that this has been an incredibly turbulent season for Tottenham Hotspur.
Ange Postecoglou's job is currently hanging by a thread, and if his side don't win the Europa League, then it'll truly be a year to forget.
Fortunately, the transfer window is just around the corner, and with it, there is a chance to reinforce the squad with genuine quality, but even then, problems could be ahead.
For example, recent reports have claimed that one of the club's most important stars is on the wishlist of a European giant and could leave in a move reminiscent of Kyle Walker's all those years ago.
Spurs' potential exits
There isn't just one first-team player who might be on the way out of Spurs in the summer, as reports from late last month revealed that the midfield could be in for a big revamp.
In particular, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur could be up for sale, with the former catching the eye of fellow Premier League side Everton and the latter simply "not part of Tottenham's plans moving forward", according to former scout Mick Brown.
However, while plenty of fans might be okay with their exits, they might be less so if Cristian Romero also leaves.
Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, the Argentine has been a key target for Atlético Madrid 'for weeks', and to make matters worse, Diego Simeone has personally contacted the player.
Moreover, the report has claimed that the interest is mutual and that the Spanish giants are ''studying an offer that can convince' the North Londoners into selling, which, according to another story, could be around the £67m mark.
It would be a sizable sum of money for Tottenham, but losing Romero could be a massive blow, akin to losing Walker in 2017.
Why Romero could be Walker 2.0
Spurs have made several defensive sales in the years since Walker left the club, including Cameron Carter-Vickers, Juan Foyth, and Toby Alderweireld. So, what makes this potential transfer so similar to the Englishman's?
Well, there are a few reasons, the first being just how much money could be involved.
When the former Lilywhites star was sold to City in 2017, he went for a massive fee of up to £53m, and while that ended up being value for money, it was a world record for a defender at the time.
Granted, if the former Atalanta star does join Atlético in the coming months, it won't be for another world-record fee, but it will be the most the North Londoners have got for a defensive player and the third-highest fee they've received full-stop, behind only Harry Kane and Gareth Bale.
The second similarity is that, like the multiple Premier League champion, the Córdoba-born World Cup winner would be leaving N17 as one of the club's most important players.
For example, while he's missed much of this season due to injury and fitness issues, the 6 foot 1 "monster," as dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, has made 115 appearances for the club, in which he's scored seven goals, provided one assist and been named as one of the squad's co-vice-captains.
So, it wouldn't be hyperbolic to suggest that losing someone Lionel Messi describes as "the best defender in the world" would be just as, if not more, devastating to the North Londoners than losing Walker was.
Ultimately, if Romero is set on going, then Spurs might just have to make peace with it and get as much money for him as possible. However, if there is a chance he wants to stay, then they should be doing all they can to tie him down to a new deal, as they might find it as hard to replace him as they did Walker.